Bandhani Textile

Description:

This tied and dyed cotton textile is a great example of bandhani, an Indian surface design technique that uses thread as a dye resist. Tuyen Nguyen ‘20 selected and researched this textile because of the unique texture that resulted from the tieing process--a texture that is not ironed or steamed out of the textile, but left as part of the aesthetic. This particular bandhani textile is a woman’s veil from Kutch region of India. The tied-resist circular patterns are unique to the cultural heritage of the Rajasthan and Gujarat (Kutch) region. To create these circular designs, the bandhani process starts with tightly tying a part of the fabric, usually cotton or silk, with an impermeable thread. The fabric is then dunked in vats of color of be dyed with lighters colors first. Where the fabric is tied the ground color is retained, creating the circular patterns. In India, bandhani is usually worn during special occasions, especially sacred celebrations like weddings. It is believed that wearing bandhani saris brings good luck.

Date:

Mid-20th century

Collection ID:

CCTC #2009.12.12

Notes:

Gift of the Estate of Paul Brandford