Apparel July 2019 Apparel July 2019 issue | Page 135

FEATURE
a particular tradition, the role of textile museums
play an equally crucial part in India. This is
predominantly because the spectrum of textiles
being produced (for attire for deities, men and
women, domestic adornments, and other
purposes) across the country as well as the
diverse textile-producing techniques (different
types of weaves, printing, resist-dyeing, natural
dyeing, tie-dyeing, embroidering, and painting)
are immense.
Next, the antiquity of textile traditions in
India means that there are whole—as well as
fragments—of antique textiles strewn across the
country, which need preservation. Further, much
as Indian textiles are exquisite, there is more to
them than their visual beauty—for many textiles
bear woven/embroidered/printed patterns/motifs
that are full of meaning; they offer insights into the
identity of a certain weaver or a society at large.
In many cases, the textile itself may be indicative
of a certain occasion, for instance, bokani is a
long, narrow scarf, which is traditionally worn by
the bridegroom on his wedding day, in certain
communities in Gujarat; or a Naga shawl, that
has motifs, which are traditionally woven and
embroidered to convey the tribe the wearer
belongs to.
Now more than ever, it is the call of the hour
to save India’s textile heritage, what with power
looms and modern techniques such as digital
printing encouraging instant gratification, and
the rapid inroads of alternative employment
opportunities that have the younger generation of
artisan families aspiring to take up employment
in more lucrative fields. There have also been
unfortunate instances of exquisite textiles—woven
or embroidered with high-quality metallic yarn—
being sold to jewellers, who burn the cloth to
obtain the gold or silver, thus reducing these
prized textiles to ash.
EDUCATE, INFORM, AND INSPIRE
Old, historical, and rare textiles preserved
in museums and private collections serve
to educate, inform, and inspire viewers and
designers. The highlight of a textile museum is
its offering of a range of textiles in one complex
or gallery. In some cases, the exhibits may
cover textiles from different parts of the country.
For instance, The Calico Museum of Textiles,
Ahmedabad and Jnana-Pravaha, Varanasi, have
vast collections of fine, rare historical textiles
that span time periods and different parts of
the nation. On the other hand, some museums
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