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Indian Parsi? Parsee? Chinese, China

Blouse (Choli), early 1800s

Description

Maker

Culture

Indian

Title

Blouse (Choli)

Year

early 1800s

Medium

Silk plain weave with silk chain-stitch embroidery

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Techniques

Dimensions

Length: 53 cm (20 7/8 inches)

Place

China

Type

Credit

Bequest of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich

Object Number

55.284

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

“Insnared with flowers, I fall on grass"

June 10, 2014 - March 8, 2015

This blouse’s embroidery, depicting songbirds amid vines blossoming with delicate flowers, catered to the tastes of the wealthy Parsi community living in India. Known in India as Parsis, Zoroastrian exiles fled their Persian persecutors in the 8th century, settling in the Gujarat state of West Central India. They ultimately made fortunes as merchant intermediaries on the trade routes between China and Europe. Their mercantile exchanges brought to the Indian market Chinese silk satins and unique embroidered pieces, such as this one, that showed the combined influence of Persian, Chinese, and Indian design elements.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Blouse (Choli) with the accession number of 55.284. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.