The Flowering Desert: Textiles from Sindh (Paul Holberton, November 2019) is a forthcoming publication on the rich textile legacy of the Sindh region in Pakistan. Through vivid photographs and in-depth essays, the book explores the history, techniques, stitches and motifs of these craft traditions, which are among the oldest in South Asia.
Read more ›
The weaving and embroidery techniques seen in Indian textiles open windows into the symbolic, cultural and ritual beliefs of the people who created them.
Read more ›
Rumal from Kashmir, Featured at Saffronart, November 2012
London: When was the last time you walked into a store and marvelled at an intricately designed shawl, or a beautiful saree? Those delicate threads intertwining, forming pleasing patterns that you know would instantly uplift you. Or perhaps you walked in and decided there was nothing to your liking, and you’d rather design your own shawl. Or salwar. Did you ever think, I’d love to create something like that if only I had the time? Or the talent? Or both time and talent, but patience? All of the above?
Then your solution is here, packed compactly into two short courses on Indian Textiles and Asian Arts at the Morley College in London. And you may thank Jasleen Kandhari for that.
The Indian Textiles course will focus on India’s rich textile traditions. You will learn about regional variations of Indian textiles from the Punjab and Gujarat to Bengal and the Coromandel Coast, understand and appreciate the designs, patterns and techniques of stitching as well as the stylistic development of the designs like the boteh or paisley design in Kashmir shawls and discover Indian trade textiles to the west like chintz and to the east in South east Asia.
The Asian Art course will examine the vibrant arts of China, Japan, Korea, South Asia, South-east Asia and Tibet during visits to museums, galleries and temples in London and Oxford. You get to explore a range of designs, artistic techniques and materials including paintings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, textiles and decorative arts in tutor led discussions and object study sessions.
Sign up while you have time.The courses begin soon, so drop an email to Jasleen Kandhari or visit the Morley College website.
Elizabeth Prendiville of Saffronart New York covers the results of the popular Elegant Design 24 hour sale.
A MAGNIFICENT AND RARE ART DECO CHANDELIER
http://www.saffronart.com/customauctions/AuctionResults.aspx?eid=3658
New York: Tuesday March 25th marked the opening of Elegant Design, Saffronart’s premier vintage interior design sale. The sale was immediately followed by its twin auction, Works on Paper, opening on March 26th. Elegant Design featured 109 important vintage items in interior and decorative art including rugs, silver, and various furniture pieces. Each lot was carefully selected to represent the most pivotal periods in the decorative arts both in India and worldwide. An example of this can be seen in the campaign furniture, depicting the specific needs of the British army in the 18th and 19th century.
A CAMPAIGN WRITING TABLE http://www.saffronart.com/customauctions/AuctionResults.aspx?eid=3658
Spanning the most pivotal eras in interior design history, each lot also featured a variety of exquisite mediums and materials. The sale featured pieces made from a variety of rare woods such as rosewood, teakwood, mahogany and padauk wood. Graceful, small items such as A Rare Matched Pair of Kutch Silver Tea Cups (Lot 68) and large statement pieces such as An Indian Mother Of Pearl Door (Lot 105) all displayed a variety of excellent aesthetic detail appropriate for any space. Exhibiting equal parts beauty and function, each lot was an exceptional addition for any collection and home.
A STUNNING AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT EBONY HEADBOARD http://www.saffronart.com/customauctions/AuctionResults.aspx?eid=3658
Due to the wide range of beautiful vintage pieces the sale received extremely positive media coverage from a variety of media publications including Elle India, ArtDaily and DNA India. The top ten valued items from the sale ranged from furniture to silver flatware to lighting fixtures. The highest winning lots included A Magnificent and Rare Art Deco Chandelier (Lot 25) coming in at $18,772 and A Stunning and Highly Important Ebony Sideboard (Lot 33) with a winning value of $9,447. Overall the most popular and sought after items varied greatly in materials, geography and design history. The sale concluded with sixty-six lots sold and a total winning value of $176,469. It is clear from the warm reception and enthusiasm for these beautiful items that vintage design and décor is still a lovely and timeless edition to any buyer’s collection.
To learn more about some of the items featured in Elegant Design visit Campaign Furniture: Historical Function and Design and click here for a full analysis of the overall sale.
Ipshita Sen of Saffronart explores an exhibit at the Textile Museum of Canada
New York: The Textile Museum of Canada presents its exhibit “Shine” this summer. Curated by Natalia Nekrassova and Sarah Quinton, this exhibition promises to be a visual delight. It takes its audiences on a cultural journey through the lenses of the varied and highly representative textile industries across Asia.
“For centuries, the light and luster of materials have captivated cultures and societies, artisans and artists, attributing to even simple objects an allure of beauty, luxury and opulence. Throughout the world, reflective metals, mirrors, silver- and gold-wrapped thread, sequins, beads and even insect wings have been skillfully transformed to create some of the most mystifying and coveted cultural and personal expressions.”
The exhibition thus represents human ingenuity over a period of 200 years. Primarily consisting of handmade objects that are celebratory and commonplace, it features an expansive array of textile artists from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, South East Asia, China and Japan, reflecting on their respective cultures and contrasting perspectives on the ideologies of style and status.
Objects on display are an elaborate mix of pieces from the museum’s permanent collection, and the works of contemporary artists such as Carmelo Arnoldin, Ghost of a Dream, Rhonda Weppler and Trevor Mahovsky. Viewing works from the past and present in the same space, creates an interesting dialogue between the works, not only cross culturally, but also traditionally. It is thus an interesting juxtaposition, where one can clearly understand the conflicting and complex ideologies of desire, wealth, status and beauty among different kinds of people.
A few highlights of the collection include:
Banjara Tribe blouse
A blouse, tracing back to mid 20th century Karnataka, in South India. The garment is said to have belonged to the Banjara people/tribe, earlier known to be baggage carriers of the Mughal armies in the 17th century. They now live simple lives in rural India. The blouse displays the fantastic workmanship and the rich traditions of the Banajra people in India.
Chola Sindh wedding blouse
Another garment on display is this beautiful and intricately designed wedding blouse, dating back to mid 20th century Sindh in Pakistan. The local name given to this piece of garment is “chola”. It is reflective of the rich textile skills and culture of the Lohana community in Sindh. Chola’s are the most spectacular with rich embroidery and ornamental finish. It is to be worn by a bride in addition to trousers and a long veil.
Below we see an intricately designed silk robe, tracing its roots to 19th century China, locally called ‘Jifu’.
Chinese silk robe
The exhibition is accompanied with various informational seminars, lecture sessions and guided tours. In an effort to keep audiences engaged and to provide an opportunity to participate in interesting conversations with the curator and specialists involved.
The Textile Museum of Canada, based in Toronto, is one of the most engaging visual art organizations of its kind. With a private collection of more than 12.000 objects across over 200 countries, it curates captivating exhibitions that are culturally diverse and unique.