Not currently on display at the V&A

Brocade

ca. 1880 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Brocade is a rich silk fabric with patterns in gold and silver thread. This piece has a pattern of flowering sprigs in silver within rosettes, on a ground of gold and red silk.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk brocade with gold thread
Brief description
Silk brocade textile, Varanasi, 19th Century.
Physical description
Brocade is a rich silk fabric with patterns in gold and silver thread. This piece has a pattern of flowering sprigs in silver within rosettes, on a ground of gold and red silk.
Dimensions
  • Width: 29in
  • Length: 92in
Fragment of textile
Object history
Brocade silk is obtained by the interweaving of coloured silk and gold or silver threads. Silk is described as a fibrous substance produced by silk worms in the form of a cocoon or covering within which the creature is enclosed and protected during the period of its transformation. The silk is cultivated and woven into textiles on a loom. To create color vegetable dyes were used to create color. Today, chemical dyes have gained popularity as they are cheaper, less time-consuming and produce a larger variety of colours. Associated with ceremonial rites of ancient India, silk has been a highly revered fabric. It continues to be a popular and widely used material.
Collection
Accession number
IS.778-1883

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Record createdMarch 20, 2003
Record URL
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