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Oversize Hip Wrapper (tapis)

Creator Name

--

Cultural Context

India, Coromandel Coast, mid-18th Century

Date

mid-1700s

About the work

Cleveland Museum of Art Object Description

This colorful, elegantly patterned cloth was made in India for export to Indonesia in the East-West spice trade of the Dutch United East India Company. On the island of Sumatra such cloths, worn by both men and women, acquired ceremonial status, sometimes with magical and religious connotations. The pattern influenced local textile production, especially the heading at each end with triangles (kepala) on the deep red ground. The rich colors were a renowned hallmark of Indian cotton textiles, coveted in both Europe and the East. The Indian expertise in mordant patterning and dyeing was based on centuries of experience that foreigners sought in vain to duplicate. In 1734 a Frenchman, M. de Beaulieu, documented 11 stages of the labor-intensive process. ...

Work details

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Title

Oversize Hip Wrapper (tapis)

Creator

--

Worktype

Textile

Cultural Context

India, Coromandel Coast, mid-18th Century

Material

cotton; plain weave; drawn resist, painted mordants, dyed

Dimensions

Overall: 296 x 120 cm (116 9/16 x 47 1/4 in.);
height: 2.96metre;
width: 1.2metre

Technique

--

Language

--

Date

mid-1700s

Provenance

Made for export to Indonesia; collected by vendor in South Sumatra, Indonesia; John L. Severance Fund

Style Period

--

Rights

Curationist Logo
CC0
CC0

Inscription

--

Location

--

Subject

--

Topic

--

All Works in Curationist’s archives can be reproduced and used freely. How to attribute this Work:

Oversize Hip Wrapper (tapis), mid-1700s, Cleveland Museum of Art. CC0.

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