Important Notice

ABDASA, KUTCH, CIRCA 1930

a) Handspun and handwoven tie-dyed cotton, hand embroidered with cotton thread
Length 24 in (61.2 cm), Sleeve span 18.25 in (46.7 cm)

b) Handspun and handwoven tie-dyed cotton, hand embroidered with cotton thread
29 x 185 in (74 x 470 cm)

(Set of two)


Abdasa lies on the western edge of Kutch, largely inhabited by the Bhanushalis, a farming community who migrated from Sindh. The women wear gathered cotton skirts with a drawstring waist, a short blouse and an odhni. These are all usually elaborately embroidered by the women, an expression of their creativity that ties them into the wider circle of life in Abdasa, reflecting their traditions and heritage.

This skirt border, known as a ghaghrapat with its matching blouse or choli is richly embroidered with floral motifs and architectonic symbolism, and abundantly embellished with small mirrors. Acquired in Kutch by Jasleen Dhamija, textiles such as these are seldom made these days as the women no longer embroider and have taken to wearing mill-made synthetic fabrics.

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