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98
99
55
CHANDERMA BAGH
PUNJAB, CIRCA 1930
Handspun and handwoven
cotton, hand embroidered with
untwisted silk thread, natural
dyes
50.25 x 94.25 in (128 x 240 cm)
$ 4,550 - 6,065
Rs 3,00,000 - 4,00,000
The finely embroidered all-over
patterned
Chanderma Bagh
or
the ‘Moon Garden’ is a specialty
of West Punjab. White diamonds
are enclosed by a neatly
divided lattice arrangement.
The principles that go into the
aesthetics of a
bagh
are at work
here: the subtle manipulation of
light by the silk threads as well as
the variations in the direction of
the stitches. The white produces
a luminous glow in various
shades of grey, ivory and off-
white as the light plays upon it.
The stitches are placed diagonally
and vertically to produce a rich
textured effect. The result is
a cloth that transcends what
cotton or silk alone can do and
takes on a glossy and voluptuous
quality. The textile has a brilliant
effect, imitating the sheen of
the moon’s surface. Across this
expanse of white the embroiderer
has deliberately “scarred” the
surface with a black section. This
is a
nazar buti
, or an imperfection
that guards perfect happiness by
warding off the evil eye.
54
CHOPE SHAWL WITH
PEACOCK DESIGN
WEST PUNJAB (NOW
PAKISTAN), CIRCA 1930
Handspun and handwoven
cotton, hand embroidered with
twisted silk thread, natural dyes
70.75 x 118 in (180 x 300 cm)
$ 3,035 - 4,550
Rs 2,00,000 - 3,00,000
In many traditions, shawls play an
important role in a woman’s rites
of passage. The present lot is an
example of a bridal shawl made
by the maternal grandmother
for ceremonial use. The intricate
double-sided
architectonic
pattern is composed of motifs
of the temple and the peacock,
which has long been associated
with marital love, longing and
desire. It is the peacock which
calls out to the dark clouds
during the monsoons, imploring
them to descend to the earth
and fertilise it.
Sawan da Mahina
Mor Kare Shor we
Jiva ra mera aisa nache
Jese Nila mor wae
It is the season of rains and the peacock cries incessantly.
My heart dances like the blue peacock, longing for the beloved.