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14
EMBROIDERED
KATHIAWARI HEER
HANGING
KATHIAWAR, GUJARAT, CIRCA
1930
Handspun and handwoven
cotton, hand embroidered with
untwisted silk thread, natural
dyes, mirrors
45.5 x 71.5 in (116 x 182 cm)
$ 3,035 - 4,550
Rs 2,00,000 - 3,00,000
Heer
is the local word for silk or
silk floss. Made by the Kathis
from Kathiawar in Saurashtra,
this vibrant and richly worked
rectangular textile piece served
as a hanging in the central area of
the home. Its strong red colour,
along with its central placement
in the home, signified power.
Heer
embroidery usually fills
the design with threadwork
using a variety of stitches from
buttonhole to long and short
double satin. Developed by
the Jats, it is said to have been
influenced by the
bagh
and
phulkari
embroideries of Punjab.
Known for its geometrical motifs
as evident in this
heer
hanging,
where the centre is dominated by
a grid-like pattern composed of
eighteen squares. Each outlined
by a line of small mirrors, the
same mirrors are also used to
accentuate the points of the
diamonds in the squares. The
border is a jagged line of triangles,
repeated twice in different
colours.
13
BAGH WITH CHOPE
EYELETS
PUNJAB, CIRCA 1930
Handspun and handwoven
cotton, hand embroidered with
untwisted silk thread, natural
dyes
50.25 x 95.5 in (128 x 243 cm)
$ 2,275 - 3,790
Rs 1,50,000 - 2,50,000
The present lot is an all-over
embroidered shawl with eyelets
known as
chope
eyelets.
Chope
refers specifically to embroidery
with a straight two-sided line
stitch, such that the patterning
is identical on both sides of the
cloth. The present lot is neatly
divided into a grid of small
squares, each outlined in red. The
squares alternate a solid colour of
gold-yellow thread, with a single
white flower. When seen from a
distance it is the gold-yellow that
dominates to create a rich and
lustrous textile. Signifying joy and
hopes for a harmonious family
life, such shawls were often seen
at weddings where they were
gifted to the bride.