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Visit at the Royal Ontario Museum

Ina and Paul at ROM – Visiting:
The Cloth that Changed the World: India’s Painted and Printed Cottons

We want to take this opportunity and full-heartedly say thank you to Katherine Ing from Royal Ontario Museum for inviting all London District weavers and Spinners members to visit this great exhibition and many other things the museum has to offer at a reduced price.
For details, please read the article and the email available for members only: LDWS members offer

Made with novel cotton, vivid colours and exuberant design, the painted and printed cottons of India changed human history; they revolutionized art, fashion and science wherever they went around the globe. Featuring pieces from the Museum’s world-renowned collection, and several important international loans, this ROM-original exhibition explores how over thousands of years India’s artisans have created, perfected and innovated these printed and painted multicoloured cotton fabrics to fashion the body, honour divinities, and beautify palaces and homes. 

Exploring the fascinating stories behind the making and trade of these glorious pieces past and present, The Cloth that Changed the World considers India’s textile innovations and their influences on fashion, trade and industry around the world in places as far as Cairo, Japan, Sumatra, London, and Ottawa. They were the luxury fabric of their day, coveted by all, and one of the great inventions that drew foreigners to India’s shores hungry for more. Discover how through trade-routes, encounters, and exchange, these cloths connected cultures, inspired imitation and, quite literally, changed the world. Experience how India’s designers and makers today are innovating for new times and audiences.

As you enter the room, you are overwhelmed by the dimension, design, color and craftsmanship of these gorgeous pieces of art
Ina admires the beauty, art and history of each piece
Woman’s jacket. Made in coastal southeast India for the Dutch market; used in Hindeloopen, Friesland. Mordant-dyed and resist-dyed cotton, 18th century, 57.8 cm. ROM 962.107.2
Man’s military coat (su’a senakut). Made in India for the Thai market. Mordant-dyed and resist-dyed cotton, 18th century, 69 x 155 cm. ROM983.155.1
Sari. Ahmed Latif Khatri & Sarfraz A.L. Khatri of Pracheen, Mumbai, India. Block-printed silk tabby, natural dyes. 2018, 644 x 116.5 cm. ROM2019.60.1.
Wall or bed hanging (palampore). Made in coastal southeast India for the European market. Mordant-dyed and resist-dyed cotton tabby with gold leaf, first half of the 18th century, 365.6 × 256.4 cm. ROM 934.4.13. Harry Wearne Collection. Gift of Mrs. Harry Wearne.
Specific natural dyes and mordants are presented. Along the galleries, accompanied by the audio tour and videos describing various techniques, the visitor is fully immersed into the details of different stages presented by the expert artists.

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