Chakla, Wall-hanging

This chakla, wall hanging from the Kathi community of Saurashtra, Gujarat, combines glass-bead embroidery (in the central square) with applique work and pipings (in the borders). The imagery in the piece includes a figure of the goddess Lakshmi flanked by two devotees in the upper part of the central square while the lower half has a large savaj (lion).
The glass-beads used in the embroidery are of Italian imports into Gujarat, traceable to the middle of the 18thcentury and onwards. Glass-bead embroidery is common to many cultures where the pattern is created by using one bead per stitch whereas in Gujarati bead embroidery three beads per stitch are used. The latter creates a closely knit texture which is unique to the region.