Stitch in Time

It was rediscovered in the 1950s after the death of a textile chemist in Mulhouse. “His family found the piece where the dog slept. They thought it seemed to be of significance and it did the museum circle rounds in the ’70s,” says Surajit Sarkar,who has helped bring photographs of the piece to India.

The exhibition titled “Safar-Nama: Journeys Through a Kalamkari Hanging”,at the National Museum,comprises images of the fragile fabric that is now in the collection of the Museum of Printed Textiles in Mulhouse. “It was perhaps Koechlin Textile & Co,which was active in France then,that took the fabric there. Another school believes the Danish East India Company might have taken it from India to Europe,” says Sarkar. Co-curator of the exhibition with Sarkar,Dr Lotika Varadarajan says that the textile boasts of a chintz design — the term used to describe cotton textiles imported to Europe from India,printed with designs featuring flowers and other patterns in different colours,typically on a light plain background.

While the complete provenance of the piece cannot be traced,Varadarajan says that it would have belonged to a patron familiar with motifs across South East Asia. Floral patterns find place with animals — deer prancing,monkeys collectively making elephants figures,peacocks,fish and butterflies and even what appears to be lord Narasimha. Sarkar says,“The motifs that appear like spearheads are typically tumpal motifs that are classical Indonesian. Usually design elements from India are seen in South East Asia,but this represents a reverse flow of ideas. The oblong patterns are associated with Islamic architecture and the hill-like formations are Chinese. There are also elements from miniatures,Persian,Deccan and Mughal school.”

The exhibition is on at National Museum till April 21. Contact: 23019272

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