Dupatta thumbnail 1
Dupatta thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
South Asia Gallery, Room 41

Dupatta

ca. 1880 (made)
Place of origin
Hyderabad (made)

Dopatta (headcover) of silver-gilt strips woven with silk thread, embroidered with silk, sequins and coloured metal foil.


Object details

Categories
Textiles
Clothing
Accessories
Object type
Dupatta
Materials and techniques
Woven silk and silver strips, embroidered with silk, sequins, and foil
Silk Thread
Metal Strip
Foil
Sequins
Weaving
Embroidery
Brief description
Dupatta (head cover), woven silk and silver strips, embroidered with silk, sequins, and foil, Hyderabad, ca. 1880; Textiles; Clothing; Accessories
Physical description
Dopatta (headcover) of silver-gilt strips woven with silk thread, embroidered with silk, sequins and coloured metal foil.
Dimensions
  • Length: 217cm
  • Width: 82.5cm
Gallery label
  • SILVER DUPATTA Woven silk and silver strips, embroidered with silk, sequins, and foil Hyderabad, Deccan c. 1881-2 IS.2125-1883 This dupatta, a woman’s shawl or head-cover, is woven from an extremely fragile combination of silk and strips of gilded silver. The women of the court of Hyderabad, a kingdom of legendary wealth, developed distinct styles of draping richly ornamented fabrics over kurta (tops) and paijama (trousers). Some of these styles are still in use in the region today.(01/08/2017)
  • SILVER HEAD-COVER Indian formal wear often has glittering metallic decoration sewn on to it. Much rarer are pieces like this with strips of silver and gilded silver actually woven into the fabric. Though further embellished with coloured metal foil (imitating jewels and beetles' wing-cases), the cloth remains flexible enough to be draped over the head or shoulders. Gilded silver and silver warp and silk weft, with silver sequins, metal foil and floss silk Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh/Telangana, 1881-2 V&A: IS.2125-1883(03/10/2015-10/01/2016)
Object history
Acquired by Caspar Purdon-Clarke during his purchasing trip to India in 1881-1882.
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.2125-1883

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Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O77306/dupatta/
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