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Banarasi Sari

c.1850 (made)
Place of origin
Varanasi (made)
Uttar Pradesh (made)

Silk has long been the most prized fabric in India for both secular and ritual use; it continues to be a popular and widely used material. This sumptuous sari is from Benares (Varanasi), an important centre of fine weaving from ancient times. Developed as a silk weaving centre during the Mughal period, Varanasi is still one of the major silk weaving centres in India.

Object details

Categories
Textiles
Womenswear
Object type
Banarasi Sari
Materials and techniques
Silk
Silk
Metal-Wrapped Thread
Weaving
Brocading
Brief description
Women's wrapped garment (sari), red silk woven with silver-gilt wrapped thread, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, c.1850; Textiles; Women's Clothes
Physical description
Crimson silk woven with silver-gitl wrapped thread. The patterned, loose end (pallu) of this sari incorporates flower motifs, a floral meander, chevron (khanjuri) and floral designs.
Dimensions
  • Width: 119cm
  • Length: 640cm
Object history
Purchased from the 1851 Exhibition for £22. 1852 inventory entry: 'SCARF. Crimson silk and gold tissue ("Pethumbur Kirmez") Indian (Benares), modern. 21 ft. by 3 ft. 11 in. Bought (Exhibition of 1851), 22l. 767-'52'
Historical context
This textile was one of several illustrated in Owen Jones's book, The Grammar of Ornament, (London, 1856).
Summary
Silk has long been the most prized fabric in India for both secular and ritual use; it continues to be a popular and widely used material. This sumptuous sari is from Benares (Varanasi), an important centre of fine weaving from ancient times. Developed as a silk weaving centre during the Mughal period, Varanasi is still one of the major silk weaving centres in India.
Bibliographic references
  • Bryant, Julius, Editor. Art and Design for All: The Victoria and Albert Museum. London: V&A Publishing, 2011. ISBN 9781851776665 p. 238, cat. no. 306.
  • Miller, Lesley Ellis, and Ana Cabrera Lafuente, with Claire Allen-Johnstone, eds. Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2021. ISBN 978-0-500-48065-6. This object features in the publication Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion (2021)
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
767-1852

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Record createdJuly 29, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O164446/banarasi-sari/
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