Part of a Skirt (Ghaghara)

early 1800s

Part of a Skirt (Ghaghara), early 1800s. Western India, Gujarat, possibly Kutch. Silk satin embroidered with silk in "ari" chain stitch; overall: 83.8 x 35.9 cm (33 x 14 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1925.794 Brightly colored floral vine patterns were embroidered using fine chain stitches. Since there are continuous, unbroken lines of stitches on the back side of the cloth, they were created using a hooked awl, which is a much faster process than embroidering with a straight needle. This type of embroidery is known as ari work, which flourished in Gujarat during the 19th century. The renowned art historian A. K. Coomaraswamy (1877–1947) gave another section of this skirt to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, UK (IM.108-1912).