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Temple and Village:
Patterns and Print of India

15 April - 31 May 1998

Over 50 textiles from the collection of Elsa Sreenivasam, Professor Emerita of Textile Design at Iowa State University, are the focus of this exhibition. The textiles range from a fine silk wedding shawl made in a village in Gujarat, to leather puppets from the south, to kantha quilts made from old white garments in West Bengal, to a jamjam floorcloth from Rajasthan, to glittering dowry bags and beautiful garments.

In India, exuberant patterns in surface design abound. Fabrics are enriched with a multitude of designs, figures, animals, and gods, reflecting the vitality of the Indian people, their environment, and the social, cultural, and political influences affecting their lives.

A variety of surface decorative techniques produce the complex patterns seen on many Indian textiles. Principal ones in the exhibition include block printing, the application of pigments via intricately hand-carved wooden blocks; very fine tie-dyeing; and embroidery. Characteristic embroidery from northwestern India is shisha embroidery, in which tiny hand-blown mirrors are attached to clothing, canopies, and other items.

TEXTILE TRADITIONS

Throughout history, India has been preeminent as a producer of textiles and has strong traditions in the making, dyeing, printing, and embroidering of cloth. Due to climate and burial customs, few examples of early textiles have survived, but evidence of madder dye cloth found at the Mohenjodaro site in the Indus River Valley dates the use of mordant resist dyeing to 5,000 years ago.

• Madder is a small plant yielding a dyestuff which bonds with fiber treated with alum to become deep red.
• Mordant is a chemical that fixes a dye in or on a substance by combining with the dye to form an insoluble compound.

In addition, it can be ascertained that embroidery existed in India perhaps as early as 3,000 BC, as there are references to it in Vedic literature and diaries, and evidence of it on artifacts.

The Moghuls conquered and founded an Indian empire in the 16th century. Recorded history from the 16th to the 18th centuries describes the Moghuls' tremendous patronage of the arts. Craftsmen were encouraged to produce elaborate and refined textiles, and sea and trade routes expanded. The Portuguese, Dutch and English established bases and placed substantial orders for textiles. Entire villages adapted their work to the tastes of the foreign buyers until well into the 19th century.

There was, however, a marked decline in the textile trade by the end of the 18th century. Political instability, machine-made textiles, and British monopolies of India's production all contributed to this decline.

Soon after independence in 1947, the new Indian government recognized the importance of traditional arts in Indian society and took steps to support and preserve their revival by establishing state and local boards.

REGIONAL DIVERSITY

Some textile techniques emerged quite naturally from the abundance of locally available raw materials in India. In addition to the early production of cotton, silk has been cultivated for almost 2,000 years. Dyes such as madder and indigo are native to the country. Minerals abound with vibrant pigment colors. And various trees, roots, and plants produce excellent natural dyes, resins, and resists.

Climate conditions also influence the types of textiles produced. In the mountainous north, for example, one finds cold winters and, as a result, a large production of wool. The Kashmir shawls, woolen garments, and carpets are crafts which have emerged quite naturally in response to the climate.

Regional differences often reflect religious influences. In western India, in parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Kashmir (which border on Pakistan), the Muslim influence is apparent. The surface designs in these regions are variations of complex geometric Islamic patterns. In addition, Muslim garments such as the salwar kameez and fitted coats are found in this area.

More common in other regions are the indigenous garments of India, such as:

• The sari - traditional woman's garment, a long draped cloth pleated at the waist and then wrapped around the body.

• The dhoti - man's garment, long piece of cloth wrapped around the waist and between the legs.

In religious centers such as Shri Kalahasti and Puri, elaborate temple cloths are produced for use in processions, for decorations, and for sale to pilgrims.

SUGGESTED READING

• Sreenivasam, Elsa: The Textiles of India: A Living History. Ames, Iowa: Octagon Center for the Arts, 1989.