Ajanta Its textile heritage
description
Transcript of Ajanta Its textile heritage
Paintings of Ajanta Caves
(2nd century BC to 6th century AD)
Textile Heritage of Ajanta
by Bhushavali
Swaminathan([email protected])
Ajanta a storehouse of information about the period:
costumes & textile designjewellerymusical instruments social ordercourt etiquette ideas of beauty, andcustoms
Ajanta – Its Textile Heritage
A study by
Bhushavali. N B.Des (Textile) - NIFTUnder the guidance of
S. Swaminathan
Dyes, dyeing and bleaching
During the period of Ajanta, all dyes were natural.
The colors of the fabric shown in Ajanta are essentially red, black and blue, their tints, tones and shades and
their combinations.
Dyes
Bleaching is required for absorbing any dye in the fabric.
Bleaching removes all impurities and makes the fabric white.
Natural bleaching agents were
cowdung with milk or soapnut.
Bleaching
Two different whites could be seen in this garment.
One brighter than the other; the whiter is bleached.
Ceiling painting (Cave 2)
Nalagiri (Cave 17)
Red dye
Mordant is a substance that helps to fix the dye to the fabric either before or after
or during the dyeing process.
Red is the very strong mordant dye called Indian Madder - Manjishta.
Manjishta roots are boiled with water and the fabric/yarn is treated in it and
kept in it for 20 to 30 mins.
Presently, alum is used as the pre-mordant.
Alum is powdered and boiled in water and the fabric/yarn is immersed in it and
let to be absorbed completely.
The concentration of Alum decides the depth of color.
The garment is pale maroonish,perhaps obtained by diluting madder dye
Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
Sibi Jataka (Cave 17)
A solid red blouse!
Black dye
Black is obtained from iron rust.
Black dye is a mixture of jaggery and iron rods
let to mature and ferment for 10-20 days.
Iron rusts and becomes ferric oxide.
Black requires a tannin agent, and it is Myrobalan (tender kadukkai),which is ground well with milk
especially buffallo’s milk into a paste.
Fabric is soaked in this paste and myrobalan is gets absorbed.
Shankapala Jataka (Cave 1)
Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)
Garment is grey, a tone of black,
obtained by diluting iron rust mixture.
Blue dye
Indigo is used for blue.
It is obtained by fermenting Indigo leaves and making it oxygen-free and dyeing the fabric in this solution in vats.
The fabric is later let to dry in atmosphere and during which it again gets oxidized and comes out with the extremely fast blue dye which is embedded within the structure of the fabric.
Vidhurapanditha Jataka (Cave 2)
The blue fabric must be also a sheer fabric from the appearance of the folds style,
it must be a sheer fabric.
Modern
With the advent of chemical dyes, natural dyes have taken a back seat.
But there exists a eco-conscious market for natural dyes.
Also some traditional textiles that survive like Kalamkari, ayurvedic dyes etc.
Traditional hand block printing techniques all over India like Machilipatam, Sanganer, Bagru etc
still use natural dyes.
Kalamkari
Yarn manipulation
Sectional warping
The stripes and checks are the outcome of sectional warping process.where yarn is warped in sections of colours.
Checked fabrics are created by with different coloured weft yarns
while weaving.
Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Cave 1)
Champeyya Jataka (Cave 1)
Care is taken to show concentration of colour in regions where same colour of warp and weft meet and dilution of colour in the other case
Modern
Ikat
Ikat is the process of designing the fabric even before weaving.
It is created by tying and dyeing the yarn after warping but before weaving.
It’s a very complicated process where the design and colours of the final fabric are decided before weaving and are dyed accordingly.
In double ikat, both warp and weft are patterned and it is carefully aligned during weaving.
Shankapala Jataka (Cave 1)
Seen here is Bodhisattvawearing a lower garmentwith stripes of ikat
patternsseen on it
Between the stripes smallcheckered patterns are
seenwhich appears like double
ikat…!!!
Shankapala Jataka (Cave 1)
Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
The queen is draped in a lowergarment, striped with ikat at regular intervals
Modern
Available as Sambalpuri in Orissa, Pochampally in Andhra Paradesh and Patan Patola in Gujarat in Handloom sector.
Also seen in the market as some mill woven fabrics in single ikat available at very cheap prices. Double ikat is impossible in mill wovens.
Ikat weaving in OrissaWinding yarn onto bobbin for weft work
Ikat weaving in OrissaPreparing the loom
heddles
Ikat weaving in OrissaWeaving in pitloom
Ikat weaving in OrissaWeaving in pitloom
Finished Ikat Saree
Dip-dye yarn
This is the process in which the yarn bundle is dipped in the dye stuff and then slowly removed in steps.
This creates a fantastic hue in the base then dissolves down to a pale color as it reaches the top, followed by the un-dipped white.
Using this yarn would create a hazed effect on the fabric.
Sibi Jataka (Cave 1)
Bodhisatva is wearing a fabric which is woven
withsectional warping
Between the stripes The filling is irregular,likely to be woven with dip-dyed yarn
Modern
Seen in both handloom and mill sectors.
Wide variety in all colors and also multi coloured dip-dyed
yarns available.
Block print
Blocks carved with exquisite patterns.
Blocks coated with dyes, when pressed on to cloth, the cloth gets embossed pattern on the block.
The dye used should be theextremely fast ferric oxide
obtainedfrom iron rust.
Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
Modern
• Hand block printing is available all over India as Machipatna Kalamkari in Andhra, Bagh and Bagru in Madhya Pradesh, and Sanganer in Rajasthan etc.
Bandhani
Bandhani is a resist dyeing method where the fabric is tied with a string and dyed.
This process creates ring shaped pattern on the fabric, whose size may differ in accordance
to the size of the object used to create the knots.
Objects from needle to create micro-sized ring to little grain that creates fairly larger rings.
A pattern is drawn on the fabric and these knots are made to follow that pattern thus creating the
final look.
Two in the gathering are wearing garments which cover the entire body. These garments have a dark background which has spotted design in pale colourWithin the pale spots are tiny dark spots, which is in bandhni.
Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
These garments have a dark background which has spotted design in pale colour.
Within the pale spots are tiny dark spots, which is in bandhni.
Discharge print
Discharge printing is the process of printing a dyed fabric with a corrosive material to remove or discharge the dye and
to create the designIt is not certain whether this method existed
during the Ajanta period. But from the paintings it looks
that some fabric could have been discharge printed.In the present day bleaching agents are used
as the corrosive material.
Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
This has a dark background with pale spots but this is not bandhni,But could be discharge printing.
Modern
Several optionsavailable in the market.
Negative printing, that is,printing the background
andLeaving the image area
white,may also be used to getthe same effect.
Khadi print
Khadi print is also called gold/silver print or metallic print
It is created by printing the fabric with an adhesive and then applying a sheet of filament on top of it and peeling off the unstuck areas.
The sheet of filament are similar to the ‘varakh’ which is seen as a decoration on several mithai sweets.
These are original gold or silver metal that is beaten up as an extremely fine sheet.
Seated Buddha (Cave 2)
Back rest - Pale spots on dark background
Discharge print or is it Khadi print.?
Modern
Though original Gold or silver foil is not used, fabrics are printed with golden and silver coloured powders and pigments to achieve similar effect at much cheaper prices.
Fine muslin – sheer fabric
Fine Dhaka Muslin has its own lore and legends attached to it.
That several layers of that extremely fine muslin still looks transparent.
That fine count and fine weave is a long lost treasure now.
Did the women depicted in Ajanta wear that fine muslin, as most of the women are bare-top and men are fully covered.?
The women on either sides are adorned with a single ikat fabrics while the one at the centre has a specific double ikat portion too.
Again they seem to be naked on top or wearing fine muslin.?
Vidhurapanditha Jataka (Cave 2)
Frayed edges
Frayed edges are the seen on woven fabrics at the edges where either warp or weft is removed at the edge of the fabric leaving only one of the yarns to hang loosely.
This is either done on the actual fabric itself but in this case the strength of the main fabric itself will be lost. Or it is done separately on another fabric and attached to the actual fabric, to prevent any loss of strength to the main fabric.
Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)
The edging is also given in a very
special way, might be embroidery,
or frayed edge knotted together
like in towels in the present day.
Modern
In Durga pujas in most of the north Indian states a red
coloured fabric with golden frayed edges is used as an
auspicious holy fabric.
Decorative stitch lines
Decorative stitch lines are the stitch lines that are done for the sake of decoration and not for functional purpose. Sometimes, certain stitches may serve both the purposes.
Hamsa Jataka (Cave 17)
This is a stitched garment
and depicted with stitch lines.
The neck line has a
special doublestitch line. Is it
fordecorativepurposes?
The hemline of thegarment is at thigh
levellike several others inAjanta, except the
clownin Cave I
The shawl above is a sheer fabric that is draped
Modern
Decorative stitch lines are used in many garments like jean pockets, around necklines, and in accessories like shoes, bags etc.
Applique & patchwork
Appliqué is the process of applying a decoratively cut fabric on top of the main fabric purely for decorative purposes.
Patchwork is the process of patching several bits of fabrics to form the main fabric itself. This may be done for decorative or functional purposes.
Appliqué has a base fabric while patchwork does not have one.
Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)
Here is the evidenceof appliqué work.
Modern
Several patchworks and appliqués that are manual sewing machine stitched and some handworks like Orissa, Gujarat applique are also available.
Knitting
Knitting is the process of inter-looping a single yarn to develop the fabric unlike weaving where 2 yarns are interlaced.
Knitted fabrics are stretchable and that is the main function of it as well.
Ceiling Painting (Cave 2)
An example of knitting;also knitting with 2 different
yarns balls at the time.
They knew everything !!!
Modern
• Knitting has grown huge scale with the advent of knitting machines and circular knitting machines.
• Knitted fabrics that was once meant only for inner wear and socks has now taken a shape as fashionable fabric.
Patterns & garment construction
The usuals
The usual ways of covering the body is with a tight skirt like garment that covers till the knee and upper part of the body is generally left open both for men and women.
In the case of saints a sheer fabric is draped all over the body
Lustration (Cave 1)
The women are wearing only lower garments.Bodhisatva is completely covered from top to
bottomin a sheer fabric
Salwar kameez
• A Salwar is a lower garment like a trouser and kameez is an upper garment like a top that ends at almost at the knee level.
• Several variations of this are seen in the present day market with varying hemlines, different styled neckline, sleeves etc.
Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
This dancer is clearly wearing a
stitched kurti-styled garmentwith an asymmetrical
hemline.
The border of the center piece is
decorated by ikat.
Sleeves are decorated withbandhni
Dye used is possibly Indigo Vat
Dye majorly and madder red Minorly.
Isn’t this an amazing example of
fashion designing…?
Ikat center piece
Ikat center pieceBandhni sleeve
Kaftan
A kaftan is a loose top that is almost like a huge piece of fabric that is folded into 2 with a cutout for neckline and armhole.
Worn in different lengths, this serves as a top, a dress or a layering.
Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)
Woman is wearing a complete garment that covers her whole body.Its again striped, sectional warping. The beautiful and strong red of Indian Madder.But the garment appears stitched in a very simple way like a kaftan.
Modern
• Kaftan has become a very fashinable garment in this era.
• Its worn as a thigh length garment with leggings or trousers.
• Or it is worn as a ankle length dress
Cropped top for men
Quite different from the present era, its unusual to see cropped top on men.
Cropped top is essentially an upper garment that is till empire line or below-the-bust line.
Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)
While one person has a bust
length blouse like garment
which has a ribbon at the‘princess line’ and he andanother has a striped
lowergarment like a mini skirt
likegarment, again sectionalwarp.
Women’s blouses
Similar to the present day Indian ethnic wear,‘Saree Blouses’
Cropped top for women (?)
Sibi Jataka (Cave 17)
Present day blouse-like upper garment
Bias cut
Bias-cut is cutting the fabric diagonally, that is, 45-degree to both warp and weft.
Since the fabric is expandable in the bias, it is not as easy as stitching a straight fabric.
It requires skill and expertise to stitch a garment in bias.
But since it’s a bit stretchable in the bias, the garment drapes upon the body very well, though not as much as a knitted garment.
Simhala Avadana (Cave 17)
This person esp. has a very different garment, stitched from the
upper half with the fit of sleeve and neck line.
The lower half looks like it has a bunch of pleats like in the new saree draping style.
Or it might be they knew to stitch with gatherings – a new revelation.
Even if they had stitched with gatherings, it seems to originate from a diagonal seam – which means they could not only handle bias-cut fabric but do ornamentation with it as well.
Along with it he also has a fabric tied around his waist as a belt.
Modern
Quite a number of full length dresses are stitched with bias cut fabric.
Some skirts and tops are also stitched in bias for decorative purposes.
Drapes & knots
More often than not the garments were essentially draped than stitched.
The draped garments vary from simple knots of a single strip of fabric to
complex drapes of several yards of fabric.
The woman is wearing a draped garmentThe knotting of the garment is shown in the back of the woman in the back ground
Mara’s episode (Cave 1)
This is a beautiful draped garment in sheer white
fabric, with the sheerness very beautifully shown
including the folded fabric on the shoulder.
Bhikshu with lotus (Cave 2)
Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
Block printIkat
BandhniDischarge
Black color
Salwar KameezBandhniIkatKhadi/dischargeFine muslinBlue & red Colours
Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
Ceiling (Cave 2)
Knitting, Blue Color, Bleaching, Patch Work
Tushita heaven (Cave 17)
PatchworkHead gearsFringes/embroiderySectional warpingRed color
Thank you