Turban cloth thumbnail 1
Turban cloth thumbnail 2
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This object consists of 4 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Turban cloth

Turban Cloth
c.1862 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Jaipur (made)

Fine muslin turban cloth is rolled diagonally or pleated before tying in bands to give a striped or zigzag effect. These multi-coloured turbans were often worn at festivals, when a special colour or design would be used.

Object details

Categories
Men's Clothes
Textiles
India Museum
Object type
Turban cloth
Parts
This object consists of 4 parts.

  • Textile
  • Textile
  • Textile
  • Textile
TitleTurban cloth
Materials and techniques
Tie-dyed (lahariya) cotton
Cotton
Tie-Dye
Brief description
Lahariya turban cloth, cotton tie-dyed in multi-colours, probably Jaipur, c.1862; Textiles; Hats and Headwear; Accessories
Physical description
Fine muslin turban cloth is rolled diagonally or pleated before tying in bands to give a striped or zigzag effect. These multi-coloured turbans were often worn at festivals, when a special colour or design would be used.
Dimensions
  • Length: 700cm
  • Width: 20cm
Gallery label
(03/10/2015-10/01/2016)
LAHARIYA TIE-DYEING

There are several methods of tie-dyeing cloth to create patterns. In lahariya (from Hindi lahar: ‘wave’), diagonal stripes, zigzags and checks are produced by wrapping material around sections of a rolled or folded cloth to resist the dye. The process is repeated for each colour. Associated with Rajasthan, lahariya is popular for festive turbans.

Three turban cloths bound and dyed together
Tie-dyed cotton, still tied up after its final dye-bath
Rajasthan, probably Jaipur, about 1950
Given by Mrs M. Hammill
V&A: IS.63B-1959

Turban cloth
Tie-dyed cotton
Rajasthan, probably Jaipur, about 1855
V&A: 5735A (IS)
Object history
5735a and b were once joined together with a third piece to form a turban-cloth of some 15 metres in length. It was acquired in 1862 "to show various dyes and its (sic) colours", although no record of the dyes used survive. This tour-de-force of dyeing combines several different designs in the "lahariya" (wavy) and "mothara" (checked) techniques. Transferred from the India Museum in 1879. Slip book entry 2879: 'Turban Piece of various Colors / 7828 Bengal / of 1862 / To show various dyes & its colors'
Production
Rajasthan
Bibliographic references
  • Guy, John and Swallow, Deborah (eds.) Arts of India: 1550-1900. Text by Rosemary Crill, John Guy, Veronica Murphy, Susan Stronge and Deborah Swallow. London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1990, reprinted 1999. 240 p. : ill. ISBN: 1851770224. p.128, pl.109
  • Ashmore, Sonia. "Muslin", London, V&A Publishing, 2012. pp. 78 and 118, pl. 50.
  • 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. 90-91, cat. no. 81a, ill.
  • Crill, Rosemary, Arts of Asia, vol. 45, no. 5, September - October 2015, "The Fabric of India" Exhibition, p.69, pl. 3.
  • 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. 119, cat. no. 103
Other number
2879 - India Museum Slip Book
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
5735(IS)

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Record createdSeptember 17, 2002
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O67494/turban-cloth-turban-cloth-unknown/
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