Unknown Maker, Indian

Featuring a central medallion surrounded by smaller designs and framed by patterned borders, this quilted cotton textile strongly recalls rug designs from western and southern

Asia. It was probably intended for use as seating, a furniture covering, or a wall hanging. Likely made in India and traded west to Persia (now Iran), it reflects the intersection of trade, expert technique, and taste across the two regions.

The artists who executed this design used kalamkari techniques practiced in both India and Iran. After outlining the motifs by hand or printing them in natural dyes using carved blocks, they layered different colors through a laborious process of painting, printing, and resist-dyeing, washing the fabric between each step. Making a textile with this many colors required a high level of skill.

–Anissa Pjetri, curatorial assistant for costume and textiles