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Ceremonial cloth

Ceremonial cloth

  • Place of origin:

    Gujarat, India (made)

  • Date:

    late 19th century (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Resist-dyed double ikat silk, cotton

  • Museum number:

    IS.5-1989

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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This ceremonial cloth with an elephant-and-tiger design was woven in India for the Indonesian market. Known as a ‘patolu’ (pl. ‘patola’), this type of woven silk was a speciality of Gujarati weavers and involved a highly sophisticated technique. They had to tie and dye the warp and weft threads in patterns and then weave them together to create a pattern on both sides of the cloth.

In Indonesia ‘patola’ were intended for use by the elite. They were worn by members of the nobility, and at times subject to court sumptuary laws prohibiting their use by commoners.

Physical description

Ceremonial cloth (patola) of resist-dyed double ikat silk with striped cotton borders. With a repeating design of rows alternating with tigers and elephants within a grid. The ends have a row of diamond shapes, and another with triangular tumpals. Loose and open weave.

Place of Origin

Gujarat, India (made)

Date

late 19th century (made)

Artist/maker

unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Resist-dyed double ikat silk, cotton

Dimensions

Length: 392 cm, Width: 100 cm

Descriptive line

Ceremonial cloth (patola) of resist-dyed double ikat silk with striped cotton borders, Gujarat, late 19th century

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

John Guy, Woven Cargoes. Indian Textiles in the East, Thames and Hudson, 1998, pl. 108. Guy, J., and Swallow, D., (eds). ‘Arts of India: 1550-1900’. London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1990. ISBN 1851770224.p 26. no.14..

Production Note

Made for the Indonesian market.

Materials

Silk

Subjects depicted

Elephant; Tiger (animal)

Categories

Textiles; Clothing

Collection code

SSEA

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Qr_O17103
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