Ceremonial Skirt-Cloth
late 18th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This exceptionally large cotton ceremonial skirt-cloth (‘dodot’) was made on the Coromandel Coast of India for the Javanese market in Indonesia. The design combines a central medallion with a 'patchwork' pattern and borders decorated with fabulous animals including the Chinese ‘kylin’ (dragon-headed horse) and Indian ‘gajasimha’ (elephant-lion).
The Indian textile workers used a variety of techniques to create the design. With mordant-dyeing, a metallic salt is used to fix natural dyes. Resist-dyeing involves treating certain areas of the cloth with a ‘resist’ to prevent them absorbing the dye.
The Indian textile workers used a variety of techniques to create the design. With mordant-dyeing, a metallic salt is used to fix natural dyes. Resist-dyeing involves treating certain areas of the cloth with a ‘resist’ to prevent them absorbing the dye.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Painted cotton, mordant-dyed and resist-dyed |
| Brief description | Ceremonial skirt-cloths (dodot) of painted cotton, mordant-dyed and resist-dyed, probably made in the Coromandel Coast, late 18th century. |
| Physical description | Ceremonial skirt-cloths (dodot) of painted cotton, mordant-dyed and resist-dyed. A ceremonial garment combining a central medallion with a 'patchwork' design and borders decorated with animals including the Chinese kylin (dragon-headed horse) and Indian gajasimha (elephant-lion) in shades of red with pale blue on a cream ground. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Ceremonial garment. An exceptionally large cloth produced for the Indonesian market. |
| Production | Made on the Coromandel Coast for the Javanese market, Indonesia |
| Summary | This exceptionally large cotton ceremonial skirt-cloth (‘dodot’) was made on the Coromandel Coast of India for the Javanese market in Indonesia. The design combines a central medallion with a 'patchwork' pattern and borders decorated with fabulous animals including the Chinese ‘kylin’ (dragon-headed horse) and Indian ‘gajasimha’ (elephant-lion). The Indian textile workers used a variety of techniques to create the design. With mordant-dyeing, a metallic salt is used to fix natural dyes. Resist-dyeing involves treating certain areas of the cloth with a ‘resist’ to prevent them absorbing the dye. |
| Bibliographic reference | John Guy and Deborah Swallow eds. Arts of India: 1550-1900 London : V&A Publications, 1990. 240 p., ill. ISBN 1851770224.p.26, no.13.
John Guy, Woven Cargoes. Indian Textiles in the East, Thames and Hudson, 1998, pl. 90, 91. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.41&A-1988 |
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| Record created | December 23, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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