Tent Hanging
late 18th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The design of this painted, printed and dyed cotton hanging is derived from the classic Mughal flowering tree set within an arch. However, its relatively late date, and the fact that it was produced in south-east India rather than a north Indian centre of Mughal culture, mean that the design has taken on a new form. The border design of flowers and parrots is typical of textiles made around Masulipatam, north of Madras on the so-called Coromandel Coast, and this is almost certainly where this piece was made.
The motif of the flowering plant emerging from a tiny vase is similar to that seen on other south Indian tent hangings made for Tipu, Sultan of Mysore (d.1799).
The motif of the flowering plant emerging from a tiny vase is similar to that seen on other south Indian tent hangings made for Tipu, Sultan of Mysore (d.1799).
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Block-printed, painted and dyed cotton |
| Brief description | Tent hanging of block-printed, painted and dyed cotton, Coromandel Coast or Burhanpur, late 18th century |
| Physical description | Tent hanging of block-printed, painted and dyed cotton. The field contains flowers in a vase, and the whole set is under an acanthus arch. Parrots are among the floral stems in the borders. Red, blue, green and purple on a natural ground. The design is a variation of the Mughal floral design. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by G. P. Baker |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | The design of this painted, printed and dyed cotton hanging is derived from the classic Mughal flowering tree set within an arch. However, its relatively late date, and the fact that it was produced in south-east India rather than a north Indian centre of Mughal culture, mean that the design has taken on a new form. The border design of flowers and parrots is typical of textiles made around Masulipatam, north of Madras on the so-called Coromandel Coast, and this is almost certainly where this piece was made. The motif of the flowering plant emerging from a tiny vase is similar to that seen on other south Indian tent hangings made for Tipu, Sultan of Mysore (d.1799). |
| Bibliographic reference | Swallow, D., Stronge, S., Crill, R., Koezuka, T., editor and translator, "The Art of the Indian Courts. Miniature Painting and Decorative Arts", Victoria & Albert Museum and NHK Kinki Media Plan, 1993.
p. 55, cat. no. 34
Vivek Gupta, ‘Splendour of the City: Nagarshobha’ in Roda Ahluwalia, ed. Reflections on Mughal Art & Culture, Niyogi Books/The K.R. Cama Oriental Institute, Mumbai, 2021, pp. 230-253. See fig. 3, p. 234. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.131-1950 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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