Trade Temple & Court Indian Tex

The Tapi Collection brings together exceptional historical textiles that were treasured, not only by courtiers and royalty in India, but in markets spanning the globe from South-east Asia to Europe. Trade, Temple & Court: Indian Textiles from the Tapi Collection introduces for the first time several of the most outstanding textiles in the collection with detailed text and over 240 lavish illustrations. Gatefold spreads enhance the reader's understanding of even the larger textiles, while diagrams elucidate intricate structural and design elements.

The Tapi pieces encompass a range of materials and motifs, from 14th century cloth woven and dyed or printed in Gujarat for maritime communities in South-east Asia to the painted cottons and embroideries favoured by the Western market and pictorialpichhwaisspecially designed for religious use. The collection is particularly rich in rare early Kashmir shawls, as well as in 17th century articles for urban use, such as floorspreads, sashes and hangings. More recent examples of beautifully woven cotton jamdanisand silk Baluchari pieces are also included.

Noted textile scholars Ruth Barnes, Steven Cohen and Rosemary Crill have categorised the collection according to patronage and historical use, bringing fascinating insights to the realm of Indian textiles.