Trade Embroidery
early 18th century (made)
| Place of origin |
Indian trade embroideries were luxury textiles designed to appeal to the tastes of consumers abroad. Merging elements of both European and Indian aesthetics, Indian trade embroideries for Britain were imported from the 17th to the 19th century and used in both furnishings and dress. This fabric’s design mimics heavy English crewel work, but the extremely fine silk chain-stitching is characteristic of Gujarat. It would have been used as furnishing fabric, possibly as part of a set of bed-hangings.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cotton embroidered with silk in chain-stitch, stitched with a straight needle |
| Brief description | Hanging, cotton embroidered with silks, Gujarat for the western market, early 18th century; Textiles |
| Physical description | Hanging of cotton embroidered with silks. Two rectangular panels of cream cotton base fabric sewn together, with large vertical multi-coloured scrolling floral design in straight-needle worked chain stitch. Each petal on the largest blossoms filled with different patterns. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | TRADE EMBROIDERY
Cotton embroidered with silk
Gujarat, for the western market
Early 18th century
Trade embroideries were luxury textiles designed to appeal to the tastes of consumers abroad. Merging elements of both European and Indian aesthetics, Indian trade embroideries for Britain were imported from the 17th to the 19th century and used in both furnishings and dress. This fabric’s design mimics heavy English crewel work, but the extremely fine silk chain-stitching is characteristic of Gujarat.(01/08/2017) |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Indian trade embroideries were luxury textiles designed to appeal to the tastes of consumers abroad. Merging elements of both European and Indian aesthetics, Indian trade embroideries for Britain were imported from the 17th to the 19th century and used in both furnishings and dress. This fabric’s design mimics heavy English crewel work, but the extremely fine silk chain-stitching is characteristic of Gujarat. It would have been used as furnishing fabric, possibly as part of a set of bed-hangings. |
| Bibliographic reference | Indian embroidery / Rosemary Crill ; photography by Richard Davis. London: V&A Publications, 1999 Number: 185177310X, 1851772944 (pbk.)
p.26, cat. no.4. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.298-1951 |
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| Record created | September 17, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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