Birds -Weavers' Service Centre, Vijayawada -Installation

The art of inlay in hand weaving has been conventionally referred to as the Jamdani in the Indian subcontinent. While it has been largely associated with West Bengal, India and Bangladesh, a tradition of it flourished, to a relatively small degree in south India and the Deccan, represented in some extraordinary 19th-century examples of sarees, shawls and wrappers known from Venkatgiri and Paithan, as well as Kodalikaruppur. These skills are transformed into a contemporary tour-de-force in this textile, accomplishing a bold statement of the bird form in weaving. Commissions such as these, led the way for a new tradition of large scale fabric screens, hangings and art works which used animal and bird forms in Jamdani akin their stylised depictions in contemporary paintings and sculpture. They remain among the most striking residues of the Visvakarma exhibitions, in their ability to fundamentally move away from the inherent tendencies of weaving to render repetitive motifs and patterns, towards their furthest, free flowing articulation.

The jamdani is a fine cotton muslin fabric from Bengal, featuring coloured stripes and patterns. The figured or flowered muslin was known as the jamdani during the Mughal period, likely during the reigns of Emperor Akbar or Emperor Jahangir. The textile presented here showcases the versatility of the traditional jamdani brocading technique. The base fabric is made of pure cotton, and the bird figure is achieved using discontinuous supplementary wefts of black, grey, and ecru cotton. The chief merit of the work lies in the skilled brocading of the curved forms rather than in the draughtsmanship or composition.