Palampore from Gujarat (India)

Embroidered palampore from Gujarat, India. Early 18th century. Embroidered palampore from Gujarat, India. Early 18th century. Copyright Victoria and Albert Museum, London, acc. no. S.29-1889

A palampore is type of bed cover or wall hanging that was made in India for the export market, especially Britain and The Netherlands, during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Most palampores have a characteristic, large ‘tree of life’ motif in the centre, which is surrounded by stylised flowers and leaves, as well as animals and birds. The majority of palampores are hand painted and/or block printed. Occasionally, however, embroidered palampores were made.

One such example is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (acc. no. S.29-1889). It is 256 x 224 cm in size. This palampore dates to the early eighteenth century and comes from Gujarat in western India. It has an off-white, cotton ground that is embroidered in chain stitch with multi-coloured silk thread.

See also the entry on another palampore, now in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

V&A online catalogue (retrieved 21 June 2016).

GVE

Last modified on Thursday, 16 March 2017 17:32