Patchwork panel formed of four pieces of wood-block printed cotton, North Arcot, 18th century

Patchwork panel formed of four pieces of wood-block printed cotton in red, yellow and black on white ground. Portion of wrapping for a manuscript. The piece on the right-hand corner was made at Machilipatnam and has a pattern of rows of rose sprays. Two of the Arcot pieces have pineapple-like motives in ogee-shaped compartments formed by undulating wavy stems, and the remaining piece has small flower devices in diagonal rows. Class B, No. 4.

Given by The Tanjore Maharaja Sarfoji's Saraswathi Mahal Library

The idea of acquiring these cuttings from printed cotton book-covers for the V&A came from George Percival Baker (1856- 1951), who was a textile merchant and manufacturer with a firm in Crayford, Kent. He was also an expert on textiles and a collector of fabrics from India and Persia, besides being an avid horticulturalist. He was visiting the leading cotton centres of India at the time and made a selection of these coverings being used to cover books and manuscripts in the Saraswati Mahal Library. He then mediated the acquisition of these objects for the V&A. [MA/1/T86: Maharaja Sarfoji Tanjore (Saraswathi Mahal Library)]

Given by The Tanjore Maharaja Sarfoji's Saraswathi Mahal Library. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.

R.P. 1920-3959

The Register states that the piece on the right-hand corner was made at Machilipatnam.

IM.171-1920