Ceremonial Cover (Rumal) Depicting the Rasalila

Currently not on view

Ceremonial Cover (Rumal) Depicting the Rasalila

Late 18th or early 19th century

Artist/maker unknown, Indian

Embroidered cloths, such as this one, were made by court women of the Himalayan foothills especially during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They were most often used as coverlets for gifts given on special occasions such as weddings and other lifecycle rituals. Their motifs and images derive from the narrative painting tradition. It is likely that professional painters drew the outlines on the cloth and even suggested the color scheme for the women to embroider.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Ceremonial Cover (Rumal) Depicting the Rasalila

Date:

Late 18th or early 19th century

Artist:

Artist/maker unknown, Indian

Medium:

Cotton plain weave with silk and metallic thread embroidery in double-satin stitch

Dimensions:

24 7/8 x 24 3/4 inches (63.2 x 62.9 cm)

Classification:

Textiles

Credit Line:

Stella Kramrisch Collection, 1994

Accession Number:

1994-148-670

Geography:

Made in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India, Asia

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Currently not on view