Shernaz

The small Parsi community in Mumbai, and in other parts of India, has been known for its philanthropy. Often, these great philanthropists were commemorated with marble busts or statuettes. Many of these images from the early 20th Century can still be seen. Over the years, their styles and poses have changed with diverse European and Indian influences.

Here, textile designer Ashdeen A. Lilaowala creates a realistic Parsi marble bust in hand-embroidery, choosing his own mother's portrait with accurate facial details. She wears a traditional sari known as the Gara. Like the saris seen in vintage busts, the Gara has been draped over the head and brought in front over the shoulders. The image evokes, at first glance, the pathos and nostalgia associated with older busts. It is, at the same time, a candid and unsentimental impression of a young Parsi, of his dwindling community and its need for self-preservation.

The designer has explored different materials that form the shell for the bust, and the surface for the embroidery. To create a life-cast of his mother, impression material and fine stone plaster was applied to capture her facial details. The plaster cast was refined with clay work, as were details such as eyes and hair, as well as the sari. From this cast, a fiberglass mould was created. A few coats of latex were applied on the mould to get the outer shell of the bust. Liquid polyurethane foam was poured to form the core.

For the embroidery, the latex layer was masked off from the foam. These latex pieces were then stretched on to an embroidery frame, adda. Using a fine aari needle, the surface was covered with long and short satin-stitches to create a marble-like texture, and the decorative details on the sari. Various qualities of yarns were used to imitate the tonality of marble. Finally, the embroidered latex pieces were again attached to the foam with synthetic rubber adhesive.