Map of Srinagar in Embroidery!!
Should I bid on it? I WOULD if I COULD but I CAN’T so I WON’T My bank balance won’t allow it 🙂 So for those who can – this … Continue reading
The Circle of Life ~ Antique Kantha Motif
CIRCLE OF LIFE Welcoming a new cycle … A fresh year, a clean slate ….a new beginning. Let’s move on, let’s leave behind the old, let’s make more memories, let’s … Continue reading
Stay Tuned: Report on Cultural Use of Phulkaris coming soon….
Old books on the culture of Punjab surround me. Notes from the fieldwork done in 8 cities in Punjab surround me. 29 white & red Phulkaris surround me. And a … Continue reading
Spot The Difference
Remember the game we played as kids? I see it in some newspapers and magazines once in a way. Here’s a chance for us textile lovers to play it within … Continue reading
The Dancing Girl with the Parrot – Kalamkari from the 17th C
Have you been introduced this lovely lady? Have you seen her lovely clothes and lovely jewels? Is that a hand fan she is carrying? What is she saying to her … Continue reading
What is this Figurative Weft Ikat?
Any idea? Nearly 5 metres long this textile has motifs of boats, people, animals and unrecognisable creatures. Acquired from a late Canadian collector who acquired it from the Indonesian archipelago … Continue reading
A Bird Watcher’s Delight
I’d heard of Bird Rugs ….usually associated with Afshar group of South Persia. Something like this: But now I’m seeing a Bird Shawl! This Cantonese work of art has … Continue reading
Rare Swat Wedding Shawl with ‘Self’ Embroidery
Just when I’d thought I’d seen the complete range of the niche textile art from Swat Valley, along comes a piece that challenges that belief and nudges me out of my smug stupor. – Exploring a Rare Swat Valley Artwork
A Gift from Grandma
Just launched a NEWS! page on WOVENSOULS.COM
The mini-magazine has 5-6 interesting sections …
Sleeping Under The Stars
My evening on the terrace has often turned into night. Alone with the stars and the sound of the sea and the darkness, I have found myself lying on the … Continue reading
Artwork of the Day
Amazing Ethnic Art worn by a very small minority group in Guizhou China. Asset 228 on WOVENSOULS.COM Enjoy the Visual Feast!
Manila Manton Shawls – Early Global Textiles
Presenting a small online exhibition of palimpsest textiles – with layers of art, craft and culture contained within: The Canton Shawl aka Manila Manton aka Fringed Flapper Shawl
Daily Art Fix – Saris as Textile Art!
Seen at the Victoria & Albert museum jaina mishra Feb 2018
Daily Art Fix – from Gujarat again!
Late 14th–early 15th century printed textile – Gujarat! Met Museum https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/72747 Celebrate Gujarat!! Feb 2018 jaina mishra| wovensouls View more exquisite antique textiles and more on
Silken flowers from Gujarat India
One more fabulous piece from Gujarat! At first I thought it was a print … until I read the explanatory note! ❤️ This textile is from the V & A … Continue reading
Soldiers in Silk – Guns & Roses
This mesmerising silk Amli embroidery on a square pashmina shawl is from the 1800s and depicts soldiers circling around a thriving establishment. Note the deliberately highlighted flowers (roses?) amidst the … Continue reading
Daily Art Fix – An Antique Robe with Amli Embroidery
Works such as these remind us of the value added simply by the skill of an artist! The wool and the silk and the scissors could have made a robe … Continue reading
A Kalamkari Coverlet – Antique Indian Textiles
A visit to any museum can be exhausting and the maximum I can handle is about 1 – 2 hours of exposure. In any given hall there are always too … Continue reading
The Bridal Sari of the erstwhile Queen of Sawantwadi 1922
I’ve seen a dozen or so amazing antique zari saris but none has been as unusual as this one seen in the museum of Sawantwadi, This shalu – a zari … Continue reading
Walking the Dog
And the bird in the cage. Scene in a double sided embroidery from the early 1900s. But could well have been a snapshot from modern day Singapore! More photos of … Continue reading
Hidden Gems – new sightings in old acquisitions!
In an embroidery rich in texture and motifs and age, it was easy to miss the 5th color used sparingly – it hid within the flowers – almost shy of … Continue reading