Detail from a purple and white embroidered textile depicting many scenes along a trade route, such as sailing ships, laborers and scenes of leisure.
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Bhasha Chakrabarti

The Intoxication of the Flower, the Exhaustion of the Labor, the Circulation of the Seas, and the Seduction of the Stitch
Now On View Recent Acquisition

Maker

Bhasha Chakrabarti (American, b. 1991
from Honolulu, Hawaii)

Title

The Intoxication of the Flower, the Exhaustion of the Labor, the Circulation of the Seas, and the Seduction of the Stitch

Year

2023–2025

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Dimensions

107 x 550 cm (42 1/8 x 216 9/16 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum purchase: gift of Frances Middendorf and Elizabeth T. and Dorothy N. Casey Fund

Object Number

2025.38

Type

Articles

The Flower, the Labor, and the Sea

Exhibition History

The Flower, The Labor, and The Sea
Sep 27, 2025 – Jun 28, 2026

Label copy

Made as a garment, map, historical archive, and embroidery sampler, this saree tells the story of Parsi gara, a type of attire that emerged in the 1700s. While the gara and its distinct Indo-Chinese style of embroidery remains popular today, its cosmopolitan origins and entanglement in the opium trade are rarely discussed. 

This new work, commissioned by the RISD Museum, references trade routes, colonial paintings, family photographs, and a wide range of patterns from gara embroidery—including those found on historical examples displayed on the surrounding walls. 

Image use

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In copyright This object is in copyright

Tombstone

Bhasha Chakrabarti (American, b. 1991
from Honolulu, Hawaii)
Ashdeen, design studio
The Intoxication of the Flower, the Exhaustion of the Labor, the Circulation of the Seas, and the Seduction of the Stitch, 2023–2025
Silk thread, handloomed raw silk, and reactive dye
107 x 550 cm (42 1/8 x 216 9/16 inches)
Museum purchase: gift of Frances Middendorf and Elizabeth T. and Dorothy N. Casey Fund 2025.38

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