Mira Gupta, Author at Marasim - Sustainable Textile, Craftsmanship, Luxury

Zardozi Embroidery: There is something about embroidery that has held the world in thrall in all of recorded history. Is it the human urge to beautify and improve? Is it a stress buster? Whatever the reasons, India probably stands at the forefront of the world in terms of both the variety and the complexity of its embroidery traditions. Many of the embroideries found on garments on the international catwalks are developed in India, though this may not be known or acknowledged.

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Persian Carpets: There is something about the Persian carpet that makes it the most potent and symbolic of all textiles. Of course, it’s just a floor covering, so why has it made its way into art, poetry, music, and fashion?

Delving into the history and the marvelous workmanship may answer these questions.

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Famous Carpet Traditions

A prayer carpet. James F Ballard

Imagine a home, an airport, or a hotel with just bare floors room after room, no matter how lovely that floor might be. Through the ages, carpets have warmed our homes literally and visually, added to the decor, and provided insulation. In many cultures, they are regarded with enormous esteem, part of prayer ceremonies and religious places. The motifs are replete with history and cultural references, common across geographies and nations. (more…)

Historic Design Motifs: There are recurring motifs in textile, architecture, tombs, and artifacts that we have seen through our lifetimes, and we are so used to them that we pass them by without a thought. Many of these motifs have long and complicated histories spanning time and straddling nations. An understanding of these is to understand culture and anthropology, and it is especially vital to craft.

In earlier blogs, we have discussed the Paisley and the Cypress, arguably two of the most important. Today, let us look at a few more, perhaps less known but equally historical. (more…)

NATURAL INDIGO DYE INTERESTING GLOBAL HISTORY IN BRIEF

The Singh Twins painting of the story of indigo, showing both its value as well as the suffering caused

NATURAL INDIGO DYE: Blue is the color of the sky and the sea. It is the color of the sapphire and the tanzanite. It is a color we take so much for granted when we wear our denim and fleece that we forget that at one time, it was worth its weight in gold, worn only by the richest and royal. Indeed it was called Blue Gold. It also has a turbulent history associated with famine, slavery, and human suffering.

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About Silk Route, the Primary Goods or Ideas Traded, and Historical Impact — The Silk Routes

Silk Route: History, as it is taught, has a strong and very narrow bias to the West. Most history concentrates on the rise of Europe, to the cost of ancient civilizations like China, India, and Persia. Yet, through much of ancient history, civilizations were concentrated around the Black Sea and eastwards. Harappa had a teeming population, as did Babylon and Mohenjo Daro. And at the center of this great melting pot of culture, religion, and language were the Silk Roads, a bridge between West and East, carrying goods, produce, ideas and disease.

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Cypress Motif: When studying the history of motifs in the arts and crafts, we often read about the Paisley. But there is another motif, more mysterious, more philosophical, one that represents death and eternal life. And that is the Cypress. Many say that the Paisley was born of the cypress when a stray songbird sat on its very tip, bending it slightly. But let’s go back to the beginning.

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Textile Crafts of Japan : I had a pink hand-painted pajama set as a child, which came in an artful box, with the inside flap mirrored and beribboned. I loved this so much I never actually wore it but pulled it out at intervals to admire it. This was my first exposure to the miracle of Japanese crafts.

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Art Nouveau : As a young girl, I remember attending a book fair in Delhi and spotting a book with black and white illustrations. Curling and sinuous, at once decorative yet a little naughty, these were by the famous Art Nouveau illustrator Aubrey Beardsley. I’ve been hooked to this movement ever since, from the architecture of Gaudi, the jewelry of Tiffany, and of course the art of Beardsley and Alphonse Mucha.

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Indo-French Art : The historical connection between India and France goes back to the late 17th and 18th centuries when French ships arrived to set up trading centers in Pondicherry, the then Masulipatnam, and Surat, amongst others. Of course, the French were never as prominent in India as the English, finally losing the race to colonize India after the Battle of Plassey in 1757. The politics of the time also meant that early European painters in India were all or mostly British, establishing what came to be known as the Company School, a painting style combining English and Indian art styles. In India, early art schools in the then Bombay and Calcutta were also established by the British and taught art based on European classicism.

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