The Fabric of India, a Showcase of Indian Textiles, Set to Open at the V&A
The Wire Staff May 31, 2015
From the earliest known textile fragments to contemporary fashion, from ceremonial banner to contemporary saris, from sacred temple hangings to a spectacular tent used by Tipu Sultan, the Fabric of India will showcase approximately 200 objects made by hand
Preparations have begun for a seminal exhibition of Indian textiles at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London later this year. The Fabric of India will be the “first exhibition to fully explore the incomparably rich world of handmade textiles from India,” says a note from the Museum.
From the earliest known textile fragments to contemporary fashion, from ceremonial banner to contemporary saris, from sacred temple hangings to a spectacular tent used by Tipu Sultan, the Fabric of India will showcase approximately 200 objects made by hand. It will also reveal the process of using natural dyes such as pomegranate and indigo and the techniques of block printing, weaving and embroidery across the ages.
The collection, put together along with Good Earth in India as well as top fashion designers, will also explore the “range, opulence, scale and splendor of objects handmade for the rich and powerful courts of the 17th centuries.”
The exhibition will examine the impact of European industrialization on Indian handmaking skills in the 19th century and how this provoked a resistance movement. The Museum has shared visuals of this landmark exhibition that opens in October.
Click on the pictures for more details.
Houndstooth sari by Abraham and Thakore, double ikat silk, Hyderabad, 2011. Photograph courtesy of Abraham & Thakore. The Fabric of India, supported by Good Earth, runs from 3 October 2015 – 10 January 2016. www.vam.ac.uk/fabricofindia.
