Elephant Patolu
19th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This type of silk cloth is called a ‘patolu’. The design of four large elephants fills the entire length of the cloth. As far as we can judge, ‘patola’ of this type were made in Gujarat, India, exclusively for export to Indonesia. There they fulfilled a ceremonial role for their aristocratic owners. Over time people came to treasure ‘patola’ as heirlooms, revere them as sacred objects and credit them with magical powers.
The weaving technique used to create ‘patola’ is very sophisticated. Weavers 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.
The weaving technique used to create ‘patola’ is very sophisticated. Weavers 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.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Double ikat silk |
| Brief description | Ceremonial cloth (patolu), silk, double ikat, depicting two pairs of caparisoned elephants, Gujarat for the Indonesian market, 19th century |
| Physical description | Red and black ceremonial cloth with two pairs of caparisoned elephants. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | ELEPHANT PATOLA
Silk patola - ceremonial textiles made in the demanding 'double ikat' dyeing and weaving technique - were the Indian cloths most highly prized in Indonesia. This ceremonial banner, with its four large elephants, would have been highly revered. Never made for use in India itself, this type of patola was exported to the remote islands of eastern Indonesia, where most surviving examples have been collected.
Silk (double ikat weave)
Gujarat, probably Patan, 1850-1900
V&A: 1S.74-1993(03/10/2015-10/01/2016) |
| Object history | Made in Gujarat for the Indonesian market |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This type of silk cloth is called a ‘patolu’. The design of four large elephants fills the entire length of the cloth. As far as we can judge, ‘patola’ of this type were made in Gujarat, India, exclusively for export to Indonesia. There they fulfilled a ceremonial role for their aristocratic owners. Over time people came to treasure ‘patola’ as heirlooms, revere them as sacred objects and credit them with magical powers. The weaving technique used to create ‘patola’ is very sophisticated. Weavers 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. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.74-1993 |
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| Record created | February 29, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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