Costumes and Textiles of Royal IndiaAfter years of searching through dusty museum collections and royal stores across India, acclaimed designer Ritu Kumar has uncovered many of the last surviving examples of traditional royal clothing. Her book is a celebration of this rich legacy of textiles and craftsmanship. This in-depth study of the evolution of Indian royal costume spans the centuries from the first representations of clothing in ancient India, through the reign of the Mughal emperors and the days of the British Raj, to Indian independence and royalty in the present day. The author covers both men's and women's garments, Hindu and Muslim styles, and documents the evolution of European-Indian fashions. This sumptuous volume is illustrated with a variety of material, much of which has never been published before ranging from archive photographs, miniatures, royal portraits and cinema stills, to detailed images of garments and textiles from as far back as the seventeenth century. A separate section explains in detail the techniques behind the traditional crafts of weaving, dyeing, printing and embroidery, with sketches and patterns illustrating a variety of garments. Specially commissioned photographs of members of royalty wearing their traditional clothes emphasise the colour, shape, ornament and texture of these stunning costumes. This royal family album is supplemented by stories of royal India told to the author by the last Rajmatas who still remember the splendours of courtly life. AUTHOR: Ritu Kumar is one of India's foremost designers, who has developed a unique style combining the ancient traditions of Indian craftsmanship with contemporary innovations. She began her work many years ago in a small village near Calcutta with just four hand-block printers and a couple of tables. 360 colour & 100 b/w illustrations |
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Common terms and phrases
achkan angarkha antariya Avadh became Begum Bengal Bikaner bodice border British brocade butis centres chogha choli churidar churidar paijama City Palace Museum clothing coat colours costume cotton Date Deccan decorated Delhi Devi dhoti draped dressed dupatta dyeing dynasty early twentieth century edged embellished embroidered embroidery ensemble fabric farshi fashion floral flowers ghaghra girth gold Gujarat Gupta Hindu ikat India Jaipur Jaipur City Palace jama jewellery Jodhpur kalamkari kanchli Kashmir kurta Kutch late nineteenth century Maharaja Maharani Maratha medieval motifs Mughal courts Muslim Muslim courts naksha Nawab nineteenth century Measurements Northern India odhani ornamented pagri paijama painted pallav panels patka pattern pearls peshwaz portrait princely Princess Provenance purdah Rajasthan Rajmata region royal rulers sari shawls sidha silk silver Singh sinjaf skirt stitched style stylized Sultanate technique textiles thread traditional tunic turban unstitched garment uttariya Varanasi waist wear weaving weft Western India women worn woven yarns zardozi