POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Coverlet, made in India for the Persian market

Object No. A7967-1/1

The coverlet is one of two in the collection (the other being A7967-1/2) that were block printed on fine cotton in Masulipatam on the Coromandel Coast of India, for the Persian market. They both display a high level of technical expertise in block-printing techniques, while their design shows the influence of the Indo-Persian artisans resident in the area. Filled with a variety of delicately drawn and placed flowers, these designs are reminiscent of the manner in which Indo-Persian and Persian manuscripts are illuminated. The boteh motif, which features in both coverlets, is a familiar motif in Indian textiles and came to India from Persia where it was widely used at least as early as the 8th century. India is well known for the sublime skills of its textile artisans, skills that can be traced back many centuries. With the advent of European traders in the region in the late 1500s, and their insertion in the intra Asian spice trade, the balance of trade and the nature of commodity exchanges was altered. The English founded a trading settlement in Masulipatam in 1611, followed by Dutch and French settlements; the Persian trade was already long-established however and the European traders were forced to compete, When European textile exports declined at the end of the 1700s, the Persian trade revived and Persian artisans settled in Masulipatam made sure there were textile designs that appealed to Persian tastes. Christina Sumner, June 2018

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Summary

Object Statement

Coverlet (1 of 2), block printed, cotton, printed in Masulipatam, Coromandel Coast, India, 1800-1830

Physical Description

A rectangular coverlet, exquisitely block printed on fine cotton with a detailed design in rich red, mustard, natural and black. The red central field is almost square with a combined boteh and heart motif diagonally placed in each corner, while at each end are deep borders with four flower-filled boteh motifs on a red ground. Surrounding the field is a striking chevron-patterned border; also surrounding the field, the end borders and the whole are narrow borders of varying widths containing small boteh motifs, tiny flowers and scrolling meanders. At one end, a small cartouche holds an inscription in Persian, 'Mohammad Hoseyn Aqa [son] of Haji Ahmad Sadr Ala'. Made for sale in the Persian market

DIMENSIONS

Height

2620 mm

Width

1400 mm

PRODUCTION

Notes

The design of the cotton coverlet was drawn by Indo-Persian artisans domiciled in India and was intended for the Persian market. It is one of two in the collection (the other being A7967-1/2) that were block printed on the cotton in Masulipatam, Coromandel Coast of India. The flower filled field and borders are reminiscent of Persian and Indo-Persian manuscripts, while the boteh motifs, which are frequently found in Indian textiles, were originally derived from Persian sources. They both display a high level of technical expertise in block-printing techniques, while their design shows the influence of the Indo-Persian artisans resident in the area. Filled with a variety of delicately drawn and placed flowers, these designs are reminiscent of the manner in which Indo-Persian and Persian manuscripts are illuminated. The boteh motif, which features in both coverlets, is a familiar motif in Indian textiles and came to India from Persia where it was widely used at least as early as the 8th century. The coverlet was block printed, an art taken to a high level of technical expertise on the Coromandel Coast of India, north of Madras in what is now Andhra Pradesh. The design would have been drawn directly onto the wooden printing blocks by the Indo-Persian artisans and cut by a specialist block cutter. Today in Andhra Pradesh, a cloth to be block printed is pinned out on a long table to prevent the fabric from moving and keep it taut. See 'Indian painted and printed fabrics', John Irwin and Margaret Hall, Vol. 1 of Calico Museum Catalogue, chapter 5

HISTORY

Notes

The exact provenance of this work is unknown, however it was made for the Persian market by Persian craftsmen who settled in the Madras region of eastern India. It was purchased for the Museum collection from David Spode in 1981

SOURCE

Acquisition Date

26 August 1981

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