Waist Sash thumbnail 1
Waist Sash thumbnail 2
+2
images
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Waist Sash

c.18th century (made)
Place of origin
Coromandel Coast (made)
Hyderabad (used)

Patka (waist sash) of white cotton, block-printed, mordant and resist-dyed. Narrow side borders and deep end borders. The borders are patterned with rows of closely set small pointed leaves in green-blue outlined in black. The main field is plain.

Object details

Categories
ELISE
Textiles
Clothing
Accessories
Men's Clothes
Object type
Waist Sash
Materials and techniques
Cotton, block-printed, mordant and resist-dyed
Cotton
Block Printing
Mordant Dyed
Resist-Dyeing
Brief description
Patka (waist sash) of block-printed, mordant and resist-dyed cotton, Coromandel Coast (probably), 18th century; Textiles; Clothing; Accessories
Physical description
Patka (waist sash) of white cotton, block-printed, mordant and resist-dyed. Narrow side borders and deep end borders. The borders are patterned with rows of closely set small pointed leaves in green-blue outlined in black. The main field is plain.
Dimensions
  • Height: 541.5cm
  • Width: 72cm
  • Height: 213in
  • Width: 30in
Height of borders: 80 cm
Style
Mughal
Marks and inscriptions
  • (Red stamp at centre of one end. Six undeciphered Tamil characters in a rectangle. Research indicates such stamps may have been used as an inventory marker identifying the textile as consigned to the East India Company factory at Machilipatnam. )
  • (Undeciphered hand-written inscription at one end. )
Gallery label
(01/08/2017)
PATKAS
Cotton, block-printed, mordant and resist-dyed
Coromandel Coast
18th century

Patkas, or waist sashes, ranged in style from opulent silk-and-gold brocades to plain cottons. Muslim rulers traditionally bestowed clothing, including patkas, on their courtiers. In order to fulfil this custom, vast supplies of garments were needed in a variety of qualities to suit different ranks. These two fine examples came from the textile stores of the Nizams of Hyderabad, and were possibly intended for use as gifts.

IM.311-1921 & IS.101-1948, the latter bequeathed by Sir Michael Sadleir
Credit line
Bequeathed by Sir Michael Sadler
Object history
One of a group of similiar cotton patterned patkas (waist sashes), the majority of which once belonged to the textile stores of the Nizam of Hyderabad.
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. 56, cat. no. 37
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.101-1948

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Record createdDecember 23, 1999
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O18918/waist-sash/
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