Important Notice

KATHIAWAR, GUJARAT, CIRCA 1930
Handspun and handwoven cotton dyed with indigo, hand embroidered with untwisted silk thread, natural dyes
31 x 31 in (79 x 79 cm)


To embody the essence of creation in one textile is rare, but these two square decorative hangings, known as chaklas, do it perfectly. Based on the pattern of the sacred grid, each is divided into nine equal squares. At their central focal point, both of them have two women with bird-like faces that symbolise the Mother Goddess. The women are referencing the myth of the Amrit Manthan, the churning of the ocean, which yielded a number of treasures. The most important treasure to emerge, was amrita ambrosia, the nectar of immortality. The eight squares surrounding the women stand for the sun and the moon, the day and the night, the conceptualisation of the passage of time. The present lot has four large stars in the corner boxes, while the following lot has the sun motif.

Dating to the early 19th century, the two unusual and rare lots in this collection are made by the Kathis of Kutch. The Kathis are said to be the original Epthalites, a branch of the Huns from Central Asia who invaded India during the rule of the Gupta Empire, with one branch of them settling in Gujarat around the 5th century. They were sun worshippers and this is reflected in their textiles, as is the worship of the Mother Goddess.

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