Untitled

Unknown

first half of the 18th century · Cotton (painted mordant, dyed) with applied gold leaf · Asian Art

Indian painted and dyed cotton textiles, called sarasa in Japan, were treasured by their Japanese owners. This example relates to contemporary Indian embroideries, which were in turn partly inspired by earlier English embroideries such as the coif (cat. no. 12). The design features a scrolling vine-and-floral pattern (see also cat. no. 11) that has been embellished with delicately applied gold leaf. In the late Edo period (1615–1868), fragments of such cloths were routinely mounted in sample books known as meibutsugire (“famed fabrics”). Others were tailored into precious wrappers for tea-ceremony containers, display mats, tobacco pouches, and scroll-box covers. cat. no. 13

Artist

Unknown

Date

first half of the 18th century

Medium

Cotton (painted mordant, dyed) with applied gold leaf

Culture

India for the Japanese market

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Funds from various donors, by exchange, 2010