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Indian quilts and quiltmakers are part of a living tradition that goes back 4,000 years. Many textiles and techniques have made their way into Gujarati quiltmaking, which is firmly established in the region’s culture
Outside the ornate Dwarakadhish temple dedicated to Krishna in Dwarka, Saurashtra, a sign overlooks the Arabian Sea and proclaims, "From this point a direct line of sight, unbroken by land, leads to the South Pole." Its location by the open sea places ancient and modern Gujarat at the heart of Indian international trade and commerce. Historical evidence identifies Gujarat's commercial ties with Sumer in the Persian Gulf from 1000 to 750 BCE. The world's earliest known seaport, Lothal, connected the city to primeval rivers, like the Indus, and the major trade routes between the Harappan cities in Sindh with the Saurashtrian peninsula. The Gulfs of Kutch and Khambhat divide Gujarat into three landmasses: the eastern continental region, Saurashtra in the centre and Kutch in the north. Gujarat's western coast has been a strategic location for trade since the first empires settled in the region. Many dynasties have left their mark in prominent places like the engravings found in the Girnar mountains situated in Junagadh district, Saurashtra. "Inscribed on the [Girnar] hill are records of two of the major dynasties of the north-the Mauryas (317 to 186 BC) and the Guptas (dated in the reign of King Skandagupta AD 455-67)-while the third, engraved on the western side, belongs to the Ksatrapa ruler Rudradamana (second century AD)". The arts and handicrafts thrived as a result of these empires' economic activity, patronage and intervention and were inspired by the religious and architectural activities; "Gujarat, which had an open land route connecting it to Central Asia, had a large number of settlers from Central Asia. They settled in Kutch and Saurashtra and traditions of their embroidery can be found in these areas."
Cambay (now Khambhat), Bharuch and Surat were important harbours along the Continental coast for supply and distribution and performed an extensive role in the history of Indian textile commerce. Traders from the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe were enticed by the promise of lucrative trade and the allure of Indian textiles. "Under Mughal rule [1573], Surat enjoyed relative peace and rose to the level of the first and most prosperous city of India, a great port and commercial center." The first English settlement in India was established at Surat. Apart from extensive trade, Gujarat also became a major production centre for cotton and silk, zari work, brocade and embroidery. Advanced weaving techniques were developed or enhanced; these included patola, kinkhab and tanchoi, which were assimilated from China. "Throughout the seventeenth century, Gujarat was probably the most important centre for commercial embroidery in the world." The demand for other craft fabrication, like textile printing, rose as well due to the great acclaim of Gujarati embroidery, especially among the Europeans. "Today, the belt comprising Kutch and Saurashtra up through northern Gujarat to western Rajasthan and the Tharparkar district in Pakistan is the world's richest source of folk embroideries." Many of these textiles and techniques make their way into Gujarati quiltmaking. Consequently, Gujarati artisans have long enjoyed international attention and their arts are firmly established in the culture. In writing about Indian craftsmen in general, Kramrisch says: As practitioner of the tradition, the craftsman fulfils a double obligation. In a straight line he is linked with the fountainhead, sum total of Consciousness, of Knowledge and Inspiration. Its immediate presence in the actual moment of his work is guaranteed by the unbroken line of sages and craftsmen who have transmitted to him his particular craft [sic]. Over millennia, Gujarati textiles evolved to integrate provincial and international influences. Regional transmigration of various tribes within India and Pakistan enriched the cultural fabric. At trade centres, the craftsmen were exposed to numerous inspirations coming from as far away as Rome and China. Today Gujarat is the largest contributor of man-made fibre (31 per cent) and man-made filament yarn (38 per cent) in the country. It contributes 12 per cent to the national textile exports. Over 40 per cent of the country's art-silk fabric is produced at Surat. Gujarat is Asia's largest denim producer (Arvind Mills)."Surat still produces nearly all of India's metal thread for brocades and embroidery." The types of quilts
Gujarat can claim the greatest number of quilting genres of any Indian state. This is not surprising since Gujarat has long been at the nexus of the global textile trade and receptive to external influences. The diversity of quilt types is represented by a multiplicity of designs, colours, techniques and materials, as we shall see. Even the nomenclature of quiltmaking is complex with the proliferation of regional and local names for quilts. A single genre can have multiple names depending on its location — conversely, one name can represent different genres. These include: koudi, dharki, godra, godri, gudri, godara, ralli, sirakh and rukhdi. Other words associated with quiltmaking include: Damchaya or damachaya — a hope chest or sideboard where quilts are stored; mori — a cover for a stack of quilts; chakla or chaklo — square wall hanging; kothalo or kothali — a quilted dowry sack, large and small, respectively; dharaniyo — covers a pile of quilts, sometimes quilted; and chandravo — canopy. Quilts are an important dowry item for many of the ethnic groups, including the Rabari, Meghwal, Haleputra, Jat, and Sodha Rajput. The bride brings a minimum of three quilts to demonstrate her ability to be a good homemaker-the finer the textiles, the more valuable the quilt. Fabrics like mashru, bandini and ajrak are considered "valuable" cloth since they involve significant time in weaving and dyeing. Ray states, "…textiles were imbued with multiple meanings and were both items of common consumption as well as products for elite and religious requirements." There are at least six basic quiltmaking techniques in Gujarat: appliqué and reverse appliqué, wholecloth, utility, patchwork and piecework, embroidered or embellished, and woven. This short list neither limits the derivations of styles nor the ingenuity of the quiltmakers. Furthermore many quilts are made using a combination of these techniques. Within some communities we discovered multiple quilt styles made by the same tribe or community. In Kutch, we saw unique genres emerge either by locale or caste/tribe distinction. Many of the quilts surveyed in Gujarat were for domestic use, however, there is a thriving commercial market as well. Old and new cloth is used and consists of natural and synthetic material. Solid, bright colours dominate the majority of quilts yet a significant number of prints are included. A few older pieces were made from muted-toned fabrics. Often we met women sitting on the cool verandas of their homes, quilting. One woman spread her quilts on a vegetable cart at the side of the road for us to study. She lived in an undeveloped brick hut yet she presented over fifteen quilts for our inspection In another village, women were making quilts from overruns of cotton cloth from Banana Republic, an American clothing company. — Excerpted with permission from the publisher
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