Seattle is blooming – roses, poppies, foxgloves, pinks and peonies abound. To celebrate the florabundance of June wherever you are, here is a selection of Indian textiles.
A Mughal early 18th century embroidered floor spread – a meadow underfoot-
A Gujarat wall hanging, made for the English market c. 1700 –
And a flower plucked from it –
A paithani-style shawl from Dhaulpur, Rajasthan circa 1850
A Kalamkari hand drawn mordant and resist dyed cotton from south-east India, late 17th century-
It blooms so effusively that even the leaves have flowers.
Feel the warmth of the yellow in this skirt cloth from the Mochi community in Gujarat, circa 1850-
Another Mochi skirt cloth from the late 19th century-
An exuberant kalamkari block print created in south-east India for the Indonesian market in the 19th century-
All of these textiles are from The Indian Textile Sourcebook by Avalon Fotheringham, published by Thames and Hudson.
Rumi: “To wander in the fields of flowers, pull the thorns from your heart.”
