Object Note
Part of an ensemble that includes a pair of trousers and a jacket (ZI2020.500741a ASIA, ZI2020.500741b ASIA) and was purchased along with seven other pieces not related to the ensemble (ZI2020.500741c ASIA, ZI2020.500741d ASIA, ZI2020.500741e ASIA, ZI2020.500741f ASIA, ZI2020.500741g ASIA, ZI2020.500741h ASIA, ZI2020.500741i ASIA).
Object History
This green embroidered Sindhi woman’s loose blouse dress was purchased by Dr. Reem Tariq El Mutwalli from Kerry Taylor Auctions, London in 2020 to be added to The Zay Initiative Collection.
Object Features
This is a woman’s hip-length loose blouse of Sindhi origin (Sindhi_cholo) which could also be categorized as a completely embroidered pullover shirt (gaji) worn by the Sindhi women of South Asia.
While the Sindhi_cholo is common to all Sindhi women the gaji is worn by the women of lower Sindh. This would be usually paired with a pair of loose Sindhi style (salwar) trousers (kancha) or (suthan) and a long fabric to loosely drape over their head and bust. Older Sindhi women sometimes would wear a long robe over it.
The base fabric is possibly a yarn-dyed (tussar) silk in (crimson) red which has been densely embroidered with floral and scallop motifs with silk floss threads of three different shades of green in (buttonhole_stitch) and (chain_stitch) style embroideries.
It has a round neckline with an opening on the left side with no fastenings. It has small side slits near the hem. Both the front and the back are embellished in equal density. It has a white thin tussar lining and has been completely hand-stitched and hand-embroidered.
It is worth noting, that although such a neckline had been traditionally in vogue in South Asia and the Indian subcontinent and is still in fashion, it is rarely seen outside of the region. However, traditional women’s (kandurah) in the UAE have shown evidence of such necklines (ZI1968.50021a UAE, ZI1980.50047a UAE, ZI1986.500192 UAE, ZI1998.5004 UAE). Although a possible reason for such similarity may be attributed to the close trade relationship between the two regions, it is however a mystery as to why the prevalence of it is unique to the UAE.
Links
- Collection, Asian Costumes and Textiles from the Bosphorus to Fujiyama: The Zaira and Marcel Mis. Asian Costumes and Textiles from the Bosphorus to Fujiyama: The Zaira and Marcel Mis Collection. Calfornia: Skira, 2009.
- https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O476922/shirt-unknown/
- https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O455666/jacket-unknown/
- https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O476579/bodice/
- https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O440804/jacket-unknown/
- https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O475902/trousers-unknown/
- https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O453662/blouse-unknown/
- https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O475760/trousers-unknown/
- https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O69766/trousers-unknown/
- https://www.thevoiceoffashion.com/fabric-of-india
- https://www.dawn.com/news
- https://brill.com/view/journals
- https://books.google.ae/books
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