110-111 / 168
109
108
K
alamkari or Qalamkari, is derived from the Persian
words
qalam
(pen) and
kari
(craftmanship). It
refers to printed cotton fabrics, in combination with
pen work.
Produced in many parts of India, from ancient times,
these were said to have been traded throughout the
world. Cotton dyed with mordants was discovered
at excavations at the Indus Valley as the fabric was
preserved fused to a silver jar. This dates dyed cotton
fabric to roughly 3,000 BC.
The printed fabrics of Gujarat and southern India were
used by traders and merchants as currency, largely
to trade spices from Southeast Asia and Indonesia.
Historical accounts state that Kalamkari paintings
were in demand in these regions for use in rituals and
ceremonies. They were also traded with theMiddle East
and Europe. The discovery of the Fostat textiles drew
attention to the early history of Indian printed fabrics.
While different Kalamkari traditions developed
throughout India two places in Andhra Pradesh
were well-known for the art: Srikalahasti and
Machilipatnam. While the former is known primarily
for its free-hand drawing with a charcoal stick for the
outlining of patterns, in the latter there was a greater
reliance on blocks.
Machilipatnam is also known to have made Kalamkari
for the Iranian market, with its designs and motifs
influencing those made in Iran. The painted temple
hangings of Srikalahasti were known as
waratapani
,
while Kalamkari of Machilipatnam, which was made for
export became known by the Persian word
kalamkari
,
that is pen work.
The art form steadily declined during colonial rule and
post independence Kamaladevi Chattopadyaya and
Jasleen Dhamija helped establish a government run
Kalamkari training centre to encourage the craft as part
of the All India Handicrafts Board’s textile revival project.
They were helped in this by the designer Nelly Sethna.
The Kalamkari traditions in Iran and India did not grow
in isolation, there were connections between the two
regions via the Kingdom of Golconda where the ruling
kingMuhammadQuli Qutb Shah (1580-1611 AD), was
of Persian origin and carried out his court in the Persian
Safavid style. This meant that several Persians were
settled in the region, with some working as artisans.
Persian influence is certainly evident in the Kalamkari
pieces fromMachilipatnam.
In Iran, the main centre for Kalamkari was Isfahan. The
ones made here are known for their muted tones and
highly bleached backgrounds, as well as the artist’s
creativity in drawing out both floral and figurative
motifs. Artisans who used the
kalam
were called
kalamkars
as against block printers who were called
chitsaz
. They drew their outlines with iron acetate with
brushes made from animal hair. The thicker ones were
made from horsehair, and finer ones, used largely for
calligraphic details, were made from cat hair.
KALAMKARI
60
PICTORIAL KALAMKARI WITH
MUSICIANS AND DANCERS
ISFAHAN, IRAN, CIRCA 1930
Handspun and handwoven cotton, hand drawn
and painted, natural dyes
59 x 95.5 in (150 x 243 cm)
$ 6,065 - 7,580
Rs 4,00,000 - 5,00,000
A man, probably a courtier or
even a king, reclines on a pair of
green bolsters as he is entertained
by a group of young women.
Singing and dancing, playing
musical instruments, the women
are dressed in long skirts with
short, long-sleeved, fitted blouses
and long belts that accentuate
their slender waistlines. The
young man is dressed in a long
robe painted with
botehs
and
decorated with ornate buttons.
On his head, he wears a striped
turban. In his left hand he holds
a slim, black walking stick and in
his right, a wine glass. The other
man to the left, whose features
make him look older, is possibly
his retainer; his tunic is shorter
and is not decorated.
The scene is probably one of
an outdoor picnic, a popular
pastime in Iran, and suggested
by the background in the upper
register with itsmountains, plants,
and a single tree in the centre. A
lone building on the right of the
tree, perhaps the young man’s
residence hints at a stately home
or a palace, referencing his status.
Enclosed by three borders of
flowers scrolling off a single
vine, the present lot has a
three-dimensional feel to it. The
voluminous curtains on either
side of the tree, at the top, make
it reminiscent of a theatrical
scene. While figurative pictorial
scenes were prevalent in Iran,
not that many are known today
outside public collections.