Ticket Tika Chaap

From dancing elephants and beloved deities to the surprising sight of steamships, textile labels showcased a variety of captivating imagery.

Textile labels arrived in Indian markets in their thousands, stuck on yards upon yards of cotton fabric manufactured in the mills of Britain (and India), and sold in Indian and global markets. They wove desire, memory, and meaning into the act of purchase. 

Our latest exhibition, Ticket Tika Chaap, explores these textile labels, known as tikats (tickets), tikas or chaaps, and their art-historical and commercial significance, as perhaps the earliest forms of branding and advertisement, in India.

Join us for a guided walk of this exhibition.