Tie and dyed/resist-dyed household textile, possibly a bedspread
This glorious tie-dyed bedspread was purchased on the streets of Calcutta (Kolkata). A brightly colored Indian resist-dyed bedspread featuring concentric geometric diamonds and radiating bands in red, orange, green, purple, and white. The pattern was created by manipulating the cloth a folded, gathered, or bound resist process, perhaps incorporating several different resist manipulations. The irregular, feathered edges and areas of undyed white cloth are characteristic of resist dyeing. Although related to India's Bandhani tradition, the large geometric pattern does not have the small dotted structure normally associated with Bandhani. Although purchased in Kolkata, it does not necessarily mean it was made in West Bengal. Kolkata has long functioned as a major marketplace for textiles from different parts of India.
In 2008, David Packer commissioned Burton’s tailor shop in Kolkata to sew a second bedspread into a bespoke dress shirt.
Title: Bedspread
Date: 2008
Geography: West Bengal, India
Medium: Cotton
Dimensions: H. 86 in. W. 80 in.
Provenance: Purchased in Calcutta, India
Inventory Number: IN.16
