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Notes on Culture & Antique Art, Ethnic Decor & Vintage Fashion | Wovensouls Art Gallery

Daily Art Fix – Applique Art from Bharaich

View a Khanduri cloth from Bharaich from the Met

March 5, 2018 · Leave a comment

Beaded Textiles from Rajasthan?!! 

Just noticed the fabulous beadwork on a shawl from Rajasthan that I’ve had for awhile.  Endless delights in old acquisitions…   All from the WOVENSOULS collection!  ❤️

August 13, 2017 · Leave a comment

Where the Men are Liberated

In most places around the globe, the world has imprisoned men in clothing of plain colors – colors that ensure that the wearers melt into the background. The most they are allowed is a strip of color in the form of a tie. [But don’t be fooled – it is mostly lip-service – out of the 5 feet of fabric, only about 1 foot is allowed to peep through from under the coat!! ]

February 20, 2017 · Leave a comment

The Weight of Art

As I was measuring this skirt worn by petite young girls, I had to do a double-take. I had just written down 130 inches – that was twice as tall … Continue reading

January 18, 2017 · Leave a comment

The Mashru Loom

My knowledge of weaving techniques is minimal – so I might be wrong in thinking that the Masru or Mashru loom is a complicated one. But the few looms that … Continue reading

July 13, 2016 · 2 Comments

A Journey to Assam along a ‘Vrindavani Vastra’

It is said that if you cross the Brahmaputra river once, you will return again to cross it a total of seven times. I’ve done 3 and as I try … Continue reading

October 29, 2015 · Leave a comment

Dowry Bags & Purses

A link to the Dowry Bags & Purses of Gujarat, India. jm July 2015

July 12, 2015 · Leave a comment

Karakalpak Motifs – Art in Geometry

              Sometimes it is enough to just enjoy the visual without knowing the meaning… View the complete piece and other images here on wovensouls,com … Continue reading

July 3, 2015 · Leave a comment

A Glimpse of Stunning Mizo Textiles – The Puanchei

Most are now woven on power looms but a few are still made on back-strap looms.A Glimpse of Stunning Mizo Textiles – The Puanchei The Puanchei: The Puan is the … Continue reading

January 26, 2015 · 4 Comments

DAILY ART FIX – Gujarat Textile Art

Vintage “Chakla / Chaakda” Wall artwork in the form of cotton embroidery. From Gujarat, India. [VTI-719 on the wovensouls website. ] jm Jan 2015

January 8, 2015 · Leave a comment

Mystical Banjara Textiles

What does one get when the women of a social group have a strong intellect, happiness in their hearts and time on their hands? Art. Art that is used to … Continue reading

July 2, 2014 · 2 Comments

Hand Looms, Foot Looms and more

Many of the textile enthusiasts that I know, enjoy understanding the technicalities that go into the creation of the art. The loom type, the weave type, the knot structure etc … Continue reading

May 3, 2014 · 6 Comments

Antique Yao Head Cloth – 3-D weaving!

A close look at the end-bands of this Yao Head cloth (or shoulder cloth) reveals a 3-Dimensional visual that has been created intentionally! Worn by women on the head in … Continue reading

November 19, 2013 · 1 Comment

ANTIQUE NINGYO DOLLS

ANTIQUE JAPANESE NINGYO DOLLS Note the detail in the costumes and the detail on the faces. The two dots on the woman’s forehead are intriguing! jm Nov 2013

November 6, 2013 · Leave a comment

Antique Dragon Textile from Laos

Finely woven Dragon textile from Laos. From the ‘South East Asia’ Textiles gallery of the Wovensouls Collection circa 1930 jm Oct 2013

October 16, 2013 · Leave a comment

A Gorgeous Tampan Ship Cloth from Sumatra

A textile full of soul! From the Kota Agung region, Sumatra. Pre 1900s. A rare design in Tampans featuring a colonial Dutch ship and the associated ancestral tree. Note the … Continue reading

October 11, 2013 · 2 Comments

Grace of a Ryukyu Weaver, Okinawa

Another shore excursion, another learning experience. A lesson in grace, a lesson in technique from the legacy of the Ryukyu Kingdom,  seen in Okinawa, Japan The Weaving Process: jm Aug … Continue reading

August 10, 2013 · 2 Comments

Textile Art of Gujarat

I grew up in the Gujarati community of traders. A community in which the critical success factor is ‘data mining’ within the community. Fathers, father’s brothers, mother’s brothers, neighbourhood elders, … Continue reading

July 25, 2013 · 3 Comments

Antique Persian Afshar Bird Rug – what was she thinking?

Woven by tribal women, during the course of their day, after taking care of their household and their family, this category of Persian rugs  is a source of stimulation. So … Continue reading

July 23, 2013 · 4 Comments

Latest Additions to the Antique Gallery – June 2012

Antique and Vintage acquisitions from the Dayak tribes from Sarawak, Sumatra and Kalimantan have been added to the Wovensouls galleries linked below: Antique Textiles from Borneo Antique Articles from Borneo … Continue reading

June 5, 2012

Mizoram Diaries

Mizoram. A landscape of blue mountains. Rising above white clouds and mist. Green. Pristine. Located in the North East of India. With a population of 10,00,000. Spread over half a … Continue reading

March 4, 2012 · Leave a comment

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