Weaving a TextileTale
The changing narrative of Indian textiles over the last century through my top picks
Ingenuity, excellence—and quirk—inform the innovation in India textiles today, which is probably what carves India’s niche as the last handmade textile resource in the world. As a writer and curator working primarily in the field of post independent histories of textiles, fashion and design in India, this selection draws from some of my all-time favourite textiles, and covers the broad period from mid 20th century till now.
1 Talking threads
The prolific Benaras handloom industry has absorbed influences from the Indian subcontinent, as well as abroad, and has constantly responded to changes over the decades. It is recorded that around the late 19th century, weavers from here visited Europe and brought back references of Art Deco and Art Nouveau-style designs and started incorporating them into the specific traditions of Benaras hand-weaving. Around the second world war, such designs extended to motifs of submarines and aeroplanes. Woven with metallic zari, this sari is an example of this phase in the 1940s and shows a repeated motif of the aeroplane along the border, which simulates a more traditional motif of the fish. The bright turquoise colour further reflects a phase from when chemical dyes were introduced in Indian handlooms, beginning with the early 20th century.
2 A historical context
This screen printed version of a Pichvai is from the Calico Museum of Textiles in Ahmedabad, between the late 1970s and early 80s. Designed to look like a fragment of a traditional temple cloth used in the shrine of Nathdwara in Rajasthan, it is a fine example of the experiments that were seen at the Calico Design Studio. The museum itself is the only such institution entirely dedicated to Indian textiles in the world, and is known for its outstanding collection of historical Indian textiles. It is a must visit for anyone interested in the field and also, receiving an Indian experience of a museum, in the context of most museums in the country being developed along European-Western lines.
3 Weaving tales
This is one of the finest examples of hand-weaving, made in the early 2000s, a detail of an almost 3 metre long Shikargah brocade designed by textile historian and scholar Rahul Jain. Conventionally, the Shikargah represents scenes of the royal hunt and appears in miniature paintings, carvings, architecture and textiles from the Mughal period. In this version however, Jain replaces the motifs of hunted animals with those of endangered species. Handwoven in Benaras in the last workshop in the world which
produces complex brocades such as Samites and Lampas, this work was nominated for the prestigious Jameel Prize 3. Jain’s work has been exhibited at the British Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the National Museum in New Delhi. It is further housed in some of the most important collections of Indian textiles in the world, including the Guimet Museum of Asian Art in Paris. This work is in the collection of Lekha and Ranjan Poddar in New Delhi.
4 Handiwork of excellence
One of the most exciting and innovative areas in Indian textiles today is in the realm of hand embroideries. India produces some of the most exquisite work for ateliers and courier houses internationally, while catering to the Indian bridal and occasional wear market. In this, the work of Ahmedabad-based artist and designer Asif Shaikh stands out for its exceptional quality and skill. A master embroiderer himself, the finesse of his workshop’s textiles have earned him a reputation around the world. This work of his is one of my favourites—produced in 2015—a small and intricate work which uses beetle wings along with fine metallic thread embroidery, using a base fabric which is hand-woven with silk and strands of peacock feathers. Surface embellishments like these are found in the most discerning historical Indian textiles of the most renowned courts, and Shaikh’s work stands testimony to his perseverance which has not only revived the art of hand embroidery today, but surpassed, in some cases, even its original forms of excellence.
5 Design innovations
This is a detail of a handwoven textile designed by fashion designer Rimzim Dadu, which uses fine strips of leather chords. Painstakingly handcrafted, Dadu uses complex and innovative textiles in her sculptural garments. Apart from presenting unique shows regularly at fashion weeks in Delhi and Mumbai, her work has been shown at prestigious venues like the Victoria & Albert Museum, London and the Devi Art Foundation, Gurgaon. In this piece made in recent years, she is inspired by the motifs of the double- ikat textiles from Patan in Gujarat. Dadu uses uncommon approaches to the making of fabric, sometimes using silicon yarn, sometimes embroidering with paper, sometimes fusing metallic yarns. Her creative work represents a young and bold generation of Indian designers whose work is at home both in India and abroad, and reflects an international vocabulary. This is exciting, disruptive and suggests a confident future for the country’s fashion landscape.