Charbagh -Details

The scheme of a garden, divided equally into four symmetrical sections is a legacy of the Persian-ate and Mughal arts and architecture. In textiles of the subcontinent it appears in the shawls of Kashmir, among other square, brocaded textiles which are known to have been used as canopies and thaal posh — coverlets for gifting trays. Using multiple techniques of hand weaving, this textile plays with the Konia, an auspicious, recurring motif often referenced as the paisley, and which in the Indian context is suggested to have been derived from the form of the mango. The Konia is used in end panels and corners of Indian textiles; its transformation into a repeating central floral medallion lends it a dynamic movement to an otherwise simple composition.

The central medallion is a brilliant gold sun with 12 boteh or paisleys inside. The development of boteh as a textile motif is a fascinating study of the spread of culture. Both typically has the almond shape with a curved tip wither to the left or right depending on the locus of the cluster. Popular across the world through embroidered shawls of Kashmiri origin, the shape is strikingly similar to that of the mango. Known in various clusters as ambi, manga et al, the same came to be called Bailey after the Scottish town of paisley where these were woven on jacquard looms in plenty. In a way, the story of the metamorphosis of Boteh to Paisley is closely tied to colonial hegemony. The detail of the corner motif shows Katar (arrow head) pattern framing the gold zari border. Each corner carries a quarter of the central medallion with three booths each. The placement of the arc suggests a very high level of sophistication in hand weaving. The panel is done in the colours of red and purple (red shot with blue). Double toned yarn interlaced weaving called dhoop chhaun in Hindi (light and shade) is a significant way in which weavers have added lustre and tons richness to fabrics in India. They produce stunning effects like that of the blue-green of a peacock.