Textile Treasures: Shawls and Sarees

Explore the history, beauty and craftsmanship of India's most iconic textiles from the collection of Salar Jung Museum

By Salar Jung Museum

Salar Jung Museum

Jodha Bai (1901/1999)Salar Jung Museum

The textile collection of the Salar Jung Museum has both vastness and variety. One comes across Kashmir shawls, Patola sarees, Banarasi sarees, jamdanis of Lucknow, Kanthas of Bengal, Phulkari of Punjab, Chamba rumals. This exhibit highlights some Kashmiri shawls and Banarasi odhnis and sarees from the collection.

Sultan Abdullah Qutub Shah of Golconda (18th century)Salar Jung Museum

Shawls

Salar Jung Museum has a rich collection of Kashmir shawls from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A ruler of Kashmir, Zain-ul-abidin from the 15th century patronised shawl-weaving. He was a lover of the arts and introduced Turkistan weavers for shawl making. The word shawl is derived from Persian “shal” originally representing a class of woven fabric. Emperor Akbar was also fascinated with the Kashmir shawl. It finds mention in the Rajatarangini and the Ain-i-akbari. In this 18th century miniature painting, Sultan Abdullah Qutub Shah of Golconda is seen seated and wearing a blue shawl.

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Kashmir Shawls: Inspired by Nature

In India, the shawl is worn as a shoulder-mantle and was originally a male garment, the finest having been worn by nobility. There is evidence that Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah of Golconda (seen in the previous slide) used to wear Kashmir shawls. The shawls have rich decorative design which were either embroidered or woven on them. The turanj, a decorated mango shaped design is a favourite on the shawls.

The shawls are usually made from wool but can also be a fabric of mixed yarn. The variety of design is definitely inspired from nature, not surprising from the land of picturesque valleys and mountains.

Woollen Shawl with Turanj (18th century)Salar Jung Museum

Woollen shawl
18th century

This is a rich woollen shawl from with turanj (mango-shaped motif) and floral designs all over. Flower creeper border around with lettering in silk threads.

Himroo Shawl (18th century)Salar Jung Museum

Himroo shawl
18th century

An exquisite white woollen shawl, most probably from Kashmir having turanj shape panels, floral designs all over in yellow and red, with cream colour plain space at each end.

Square Woollen Shawl (18th century)Salar Jung Museum

Square woollen shawl
18th century

This is an interesting and elegant red, black, green and grey square woollen shawl from the eighteenth century with circular panel in the centre with vase design around it. Elongated leafy and turanj designs at the corners. Overlapping turanj designs around, the designs having been produced in silk and zari.

Rectangular ShawlSalar Jung Museum

Rectangular shawl
18th century

Ornately designed rectangular shawl from the 18th century with floral patterns in circular panel in the centre with similar designs in the quarter circle at the corners. Flower plant designs all over against red background.

Himroo ShawlSalar Jung Museum

Himroo shawl
18th century

A richly designed cream colour shawl from the eighteenth century in pieces stitched together wioth flower patterns all over and circular crenellated panel in the centre having floral designs. Similar quarter circles can be seen at the corners. Floral creeper borders around the shawl.

Himroo Shawl (16th century)Salar Jung Museum

Himroo shawl
16th century

A rich woollen shawl with flower pattern in slanting rows all over. Circuar panel with designs in the centre and similar quarter-circle at the corners. Flower creeper borders on two sides.

Red Woollen Shawl (18th century)Salar Jung Museum

Woollen shawl
18th century

A red woollen shawl having floral designs in turanj shape panels all over in pieces stitched together.

Floral Patka (17th century)Salar Jung Museum

Patka (waistband)
17th century

Floral shawl in silk having mango shaped designs, patka (gold print) with deep pinkish red background

Disappointed (1848/1906) by Raja Ravi VarmaSalar Jung Museum

Saree

The saree is an attire mostly of South Asian women, made up of a drape of five to nine yards in length and two to four feet in breadth, worn with an upper garment called choli or ravike, a blouse. Its history dates back to Indus Valley civilization. Ancient literature mentions women in exquisite drapes or saree. The variety in saree is endless including silk, cotton, ikat, block-print, tie and dye etc. in the styles of Banarasi, Kanchipuram, Paithani, Mysore, Uppada, Bhagalpuri, Chanderi, Narayanpet, Maheshwari, Patola, Pochampally, Sambalpuri, Gadwal, Jamdani, Mangalgiri, Tussar, Bandhani, Ajrakh and many more. The museum houses some Banarasi textiles like the saree and odhni.

Saree (19th century)Salar Jung Museum

Saree
19th century

Black saree with zari lines making squares all over. Zari linear border in red on sides. Zari on red pallu with geometrical patterns and tassels at the end.

Saree Saree (19th century)Salar Jung Museum

Saree
19th century

Red saree with zari lines making square patterns all over. Zari linear border on sides with four lines across. Zari pallu with geometrical pattern and tassels at the end.

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Banaras silk industry

Banaras is a centre famed for its textile industry. Though it covers cotton,silk and mixed fibres, it is better known for its Zari-based silk textiles. Silk has been used since ancient times, the word used for it was ‘kausheya’. Silk was worn during religious rituals and given as gifts.

Silk fibres are obtained from silk-worms, reared on green leaves and during their breeding process cocoons are formed from which fibre is obtained.

References have been made to silk in Vedic texts, Harshacharita, Arthashastra etc. Kashi, Banaras or Varanasi was considered the source of best silk cloth and the main centre of production. The industry continued and achieved its peak during Mughal times and continues to the present day.

Textile (Early 19th century)Salar Jung Museum

Banarasi textile
Early 19th century

Red Banarasi piece having zari mango designs with green silk dots all over.