Bandanna handkerchief piece-goods thumbnail 1
Bandanna handkerchief piece-goods thumbnail 2
+1
images
Not on display

Bandanna handkerchief piece-goods

Handkerchief Length
c.1880 (Made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Berhampur, Murshidabad District (Made)

Continuous purple silk piece-goods with repeated tie-dyed ('bandhana') pattern in red and white. The fabric is designed to be cut into individual bandanna handkerchief.

Object details

Category
Textiles
Object type
Handkerchief length
TitleBandanna handkerchief piece-goods (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Tie-dyed silk
Silk (Textile)
Tie-Dyeing
Brief description
Length of tie-dyed silk bandanna handkerchiefs, Baharampur, West Bengal, c.1830-80
Physical description
Continuous purple silk piece-goods with repeated tie-dyed ('bandhana') pattern in red and white. The fabric is designed to be cut into individual bandanna handkerchief.
Dimensions
  • Length: 479cm
  • Width: 110cm
Gallery label
(03/10/2015-10/01/2016)
BENGAL HANDKERCHIEFS

Traders exported handkerchiefs made in Bengal to Europe and North America. Printed silk choppas (from Hindi chhapna: 'to print') were hugely popular, as were tie-dyed silk bandannoes (from Hindi bandhana: 'to tie'), the origin of the modern bandanna handkerchief. Fine Bengali cottons were also used for handkerchiefs, sometimes with mottos or names woven into their borders.

Length of bandannoe handkerchiefs
Tie-dyed silk
Berhampur, West Bengal, 1830-80
V&A: IS.678-1883

Choppa handkerchief
Printed silk
Kasimbazar, West Bengal, 1820-50
V&A: IS.17-2008

Personalised handkerchief
Cotton with silk borders, woven with the name and titles of Colonel T.H. Hendley
Santipur, West Bengal, 1898-1903
Given by Mrs G.M. Hendley
V&A: IS.218-1992
Object history
Tie-dyed silk pieces were exported by the East India Company from Berhampur to Britain in the mid-18th century to become the 'bandanna' handkerchiefs and scarves.
Production
Berhampur is close to Murshidabad town.
Bibliographic references
  • Murphy, Veronica and Rosemary Crill, Tie-dyed Textiles of India, London: Victoria and Albert Museum 1991, pp.126-127. ISBN 0 944142 30 3
  • Das, N. and Llewellyn-Jones, R. (eds.). Murshidabad: Forgotten Capital of Bengal, ISBN 978-81-921106-9-1. Marg, Mumbai, 2013. ISBN 978-81-921106-9-1. p. 76, pl. 3
  • Tie-dyed textiles of India : tradition and trade / Veronica Murphy and Rosemary Crill. London: Victoria and Albert Museum :in association with Mapin Publishing, 1991 Number: 0944142303 pp.126-7, Fig, 53
  • Arts of Bengal : the heritage of Bangladesh and eastern India : an exhibition organized by the Whitechapel Art Gallery in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum : 9 November-30 December 1979, Whitechapel Art Gallery ..., 12 January-17 February 1980, Manchester City Art Gallery ... . [London]: Whitechapel Art Gallery, [1979] Number: 085488047X (pbk.) : p.68
Other number
IND.LOST.475 - Previous lost number
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.678-1883

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdApril 8, 2005
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O110948/bandanna-handkerchief-piece-goods-handkerchief-length-unknown/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest