India & the World: Stories of Trade and Textiles

Patola, Early 19th century, Gujarat, India; for the Indonesian market, Silk, L. 432 cm, W. 134 cm. TXT.00879

Join Priya Lewis, Archivist from the MAP team, for an opportunity to look closely at select textiles from the museum’s collection and learn more about the global histories they carry within their folds. Focusing on trade textiles in MAP’s collection, this session will explore colonialism’s impact on the trade of textiles, as well as the political, economic and cultural aspects that shaped this story.

Throughout history, textiles have been more than mere fabrics; they are expressions of identity, status, and cultural heritage. In the subcontinent in particular, there has been a rich history of varied textile traditions evolving over time and across regions that serve as material traces of the past – the socio-political, the technological, and the personal.

By examining textiles from the collection specially pulled out for display, this session will provide an opportunity to not only appreciate the aesthetic qualities of these pieces, but also gain insights into the larger economic, and historical narratives that they encapsulate.

MAP is custodian to a growing collection of over 60,000 works of art, predominantly from South Asia and dating from the 10th century to the present. The diverse collection features modern and contemporary art, photography, popular culture, pre-modern art, living traditions and textile, craft and design. In addition to browsing the collection online, we invite you to experience various collections up close at MAP through drop in sessions like these.