Object Note
A set of four objects with three in possession of the Zay Initiative along with (ZI2020.500783 ASIA, ZI2020.500785 ASIA, ZI2020.500786 ASIA).
Object History
This silk (brocade) scarf possibly dating back to the 19th century was originally a part of the Dr Joan Coleman Collection. It was first purchased along with (ZI2020.500783 ASIA). Later The Zay Initiative managed to acquire it from Kerry Taylor Auctions in 2020.
Dr Joan Coleman began collecting shawls in 1976 and developed her lifelong passion for collecting. She was a regular at the London salesrooms of Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips – three of the most outstanding auction houses of the period in the world – getting to know the dealers and learning in the process. She acquired vast knowledge and dedicated hours carefully cataloguing her ever-growing collection. She intended to loan her collection to different museums and institutions for the benefit of learning and education. Her collection is one of the largest and the finest private shawl collections to have ever graced the world with shawls ranging from Kashmir, Paisley, Edinburgh, Norwich, France, and Iran.
Object Features
This is a beautiful rectangular brocade silk scarf. Woven (selvedge) to selvedge in black silk and gold thread this piece quite possibly originated in Banaras – Anglicized Varanasi – in c. 19th century.
The design distribution of this piece is typical of this period with a (phala), two sets of (tanjir), a couple of (hashiya), and a distinct (matan). The phala consists of seven (paisley)/(buta) motifs with a fully bloomed flower at the (shikam) of each paisley. The (jaal) of the phala has different foliage and floral patterns that are intricately and densely woven in gold. The tanjir comprises a central wavy vine along which leaves and flowers are placed alternately.
The hashiya are lined up with animal motifs – an elephant, a horse and another animal that could be identified either as a gazelle or an antelope – that are repeated in the same order. The matan or the central field of the piece has a frame of small paisleys and lotuses arranged alternately along an interlocked ‘U’ shaped vine. The rest of the field is scattered with repeated leaf-shaped oblong dots that are further enhanced by four big tilted (kunjbuta) ones on each corner. Hand-stitched hems with (zari) fringes hanging loose from the two (warp) end finish the scarf.
More Info
The silk industry in Varanasi or Banaras has been one of the oldest and most renowned silk-weaving industrial hubs in India for over 2,000 years, with the industry dating back to the 6th century BCE. Situated on the banks of the river Ganges which provides fertile soil and ideal condition, the city thrives from its mulberry cultivation which forms the primary food source for the silkworms.
The silk weaving technique used in Varanasi is called (Banarasi_silk) or simply (Banarasi). It involves intricate designs and patterns woven onto pure silk fabrics. One of the most striking features of Banarasi_silk is the use of gold and silver threads, called zari, which are woven into the fabric to create brocades with intricate designs and patterns. The zari is made from fine metallic wire, which is wrapped around a silk thread and then woven into the fabric using the same technique as the silk threads.
Today, the industry continues to thrive, with many skilled artisans passing down their knowledge and techniques from generation to generation that have helped them secure Geographical Indication rights – internationally recognized intellectual property rights to protect products originating from a specific region possessing certain qualities – to ‘Banaras Brocades and Saris’. The industry is an important source of employment and income for many people in the region, and the exquisite fabrics produced here are highly sought after both in India and around the world.
Links
- Faisal, Sana. “The Decline of Varanasi Silk Handloom Cottage Industry: A Case Study of Brocade Weaving Community in Varanasi.” Chitrolekha International Magazine on Art and Design, vol. Vol. 6, no. 2, 2016, https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.21659/chitro.v6n2.07.
- TEXTILES AND CLOTHING ALONG THE SILK ROADS. Edited by Fang Zhao and Marie L. Nosch, UNESCO and China National Silk Museum, 2022.
- Sethi, Ritu. Handmade for the 21st Century: Safeguarding Traditional Indian Textiles. UNESCO, 2022.
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