Exhibition to throw light on the global story of Gujarat’s Patola

Spanning 700 years, from the 13th to the 20th centuries, the exhibition shedding light on India’s profound influence on global fashion and trade will kick off at Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum in Ahmedabad in collaboration with the TAPI (Textiles and Art of the People of India) Collection, Surat, on Sunday.

“Reserved for the nobility, Patolas were considered to have talismanic powers and cherished as sacred cloth and family heirlooms. It served as an indicator of social status and in some regions of Indonesia, was even the exclusive preserve of the regent. These were among the prestigious textiles traded to Southeast Asia in the 18th century. In the royal court of Surakarta in Central Java, Patolas enjoyed an esteemed status. Patola sashes were a part of the royal ensemble of the Jogjakarta court…Some of the pieces originated from the eastern Indonesian island of Alor and may have arrived there through Portuguese or Dutch company officials in exchange for sandalwood,” Deepika Shah, Curator and Director, TAPI collection, told The Indian Express.

The exhibition with 71 rare pieces, the oldest piece radiocarbon dated to 1250, include 15th and 16th heirloom textiles made in Gujarat and exported to islands of Indonesia, kalamkari textiles from the Coromandel Coast of Southeast India for markets in Thailand, Japan and Sri Lanka, and chintz textiles traded to Europe along with exquisite Kashmir shawls that were once objects of desire among the European nobility.

The exhibition also gives a chance to view rare fragments excavated in Fustat, near present-day Cairo in Egypt, as well as prestigious ‘sarasa’ remnants of pouches and wrappers used in tea ceremonies by daimyos or feudal lords of Japan.

“The excavations at its waste disposal sites and graves in Fustat revealed block- printed cotton fragments from Gujarat dating from the 10th to 17th centuries that got preserved by the arid climate. These Fustat fragments on display were a part of the collection of R Fisher, renowned archaeologist and scholar of Indian textiles in Egypt. Their designs echo the architectural ornamentation of medieval Gujarat. Many of the Fustat patterns have parallels in cloths traded to Indonesia, highlighting the interconnectedness of global trade during this period,” Shilpa Shah, founder of TAPI collection, said.

The exhibition reveals how Sarasa (finely painted Indian cotton) imported during the 17th to early 18th centuries, primarily from the Coromandel coast and partly from Sanganer, became highly valued as kowatari sarasa.

The sarasa craze in Japan continued into the early 20th century, becoming deeply integrated into Japanese culture so much so that even today, Indian sarasa remains an indispensable part of Japan’s cultural heritage.

The exhibition will be held until March 9 on all days of the week between 10 am and 5 pm.

“These masterpieces celebrate the incredible diversity and history of Indian cloth, paying tribute to the ingenuity of traders and entrepreneurs who played pivotal roles in establishing India as the centre of the world’s textile trade. Above all, this collection honours the creative brilliance of India’s master artisans—skilled weavers, dyers, painters, and embroiderers—whose unparalleled craftsmanship enabled India to clothe the world for centuries,” Jayshree lalbhai, trustee of Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum, said.