The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 25, 2024
Part of a Skirt (Ghaghara)
early 1800s
Overall: 83.8 x 35.9 cm (33 x 14 1/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1925.794
Location: not on view
Did You Know?
The renowned art historian A. K. Coomaraswamy (1877–1947) gave another section of this skirt to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, UK (IM.108-1912).Description
Brightly colored floral vine patterns were embroidered using fine chain stitches. Since there are continuous, unbroken lines of stitches on the back side of the cloth, they were created using a hooked awl, which is a much faster process than embroidering with a straight needle. This type of embroidery is known as ari work, which flourished in Gujarat during the 19th century.- ?–1925Ananda K. Coomaraswamy [1877–1947], sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art1925–The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Fotheringham, Avalon. The Indian Textile Sourcebook. 2019. 125 and discussion of embroidery technique on pp. 32-33
- Needles, Dye-Pots, and Looms: Textile Traditions in India. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 15, 1985-May 11, 1986).
- {{cite web|title=Part of a Skirt (Ghaghara)|url=false|author=|year=early 1800s|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1925.794