I N D I A N COSTUMES II PAT ,....... S: a costume accessory I N T H E COLLECTION O F T H E CALICO MUSEUM O F TEXTILES Google Original from Digitized by UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Portrait of a Standing Prince Mughal, third quarter o! the 17th cen1ury Collection Sarabha1F oundation Google Original from Digitized by UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN INDIAN COSTUMES II PATKAS: a costume accessory I N T H E COLLECTION O F T H E CALICO MUSEUM O F TEXTILES B.N. Goswamy with a Technical Essay by Rahul Jain VOLUME VI HISTORIC TEXTILES OF INDIA the CALICO MUSELTM, AHtvIEDABAD, 20()2 at Google Original from Digitized by UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ,,,, ' : - r / / _,,I / "./ . The process o! CC"se··, '"lg· cc :ex:. es :s attended w•lh a host of prco·ems Vl"'.at nas beer. a::er--o:ea ":ere. therefore. is what can be I , ., , ter~ed as ·pno:cgrac""•c cc~serva: :," 01 ob;ects reproduced 1n this I vo•_.<r,e rather tnan of :re :ao',CS ot ·1,"".:Ch they are made. Using the techno,ogy available so,..,.-e casts ard stains and dirt have. thus, r-0,1,. been removed. and co:c;;r correc::on carried out. rr;,!"',Or • Frontispiece. Portrait of a Standing Prince Mughal. third quarter of the 17th century. Collection: Sarabha, Foundation. .. The texl figures that feature in this work have been taken from a wide range of sources. both public and private. We have gratefully drawn. among others. upon the collections of Amit Ambalal. Ahmedabad {fig.63). Edwin Binney. San Diego (fig.67). B.K.Birla. Calcutta {f,g.12). Ronnie and Walter Eisenberg. New York (fig . 70), the Goenka family. Mumbai (fig.60). Howard Hodgkin, London (figs.25. 61 ). Steven Kossak. New York (figs.a. 16. 36). Motichand Khajanchi. Bikaner (fig.57). N.C. Mehta. Ahmedabad (figs.68, 72, 74). Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan. Geneva (fig.34). and Sarabhai Nawab. Ahmedabad (fig.11): also upon collections in the Academy of Sciences. Leningrad (fig.51 ): Bharat Kala Bhavan. Varanasi (fig.3): Bibliotheque Nationale. Paris (fig.49): British Museum. London (figs.28, 52): Chester Beatty Library Dublin (figs.24. 54 ): Cincinnati Art Museum. Cincinnati (figs.27. 4 7): Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland (119.20): Fondation Custodia. Paris {fig.44): Freer Gallery of Art. Washington DC (fig.33): Government Museum, Mathura (fig.9): Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh (figs.65. 73): India Office Library, London (fig.18): Indian Museum, I ''f',•JI :11,rJ IJ•:·,,,Jrt /,r,irr,,,•,t, Sr:r,qupla Calcutta {figs.2. 4. 6): Jagd,sh and Kamala Mittal Museum of Art. 1•1,,,1,,,,,:,1,t,1 (,,,rr,1,,,ir;r Pr<>r,,:~',1ny· Design S1ud10. Hyderabad (fig.59 ): Lahore Museum. Lahore (fig.69): Lallgarh ',;n :,r,t,;11 f 1,:Jr1rJ;if!',r1 Palace. Bikaner (figs.50. 64): Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles (figs.13. 23. 35. 42. 55 ): Madras State Museum, f•,,t,1,·.t,,,,1 t, 1 IJ '., IA<:l,!:J Chennai (fig.1) : Maharaja Sawai Mansingh Museum, Jaipur (fig .56): ,,, , t,,,1,:,11 ,,1 tt,,; r,:,1,,,r, 1.,1,,,,,,,irr, of Tn,liles Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York {figs. 14. 29. 31 , 32. 41 . 71. ' ,:,,;,t,t,;,. f ,,,H,,J:,:,,,r, (Jr>P UncJ0rbridqe 75): Musee Gu1met. Paris (fig .22): Museum of Fine Arts. Boston ',1,:,l11l,:,r1 /.t,rr,,,,1;,1,;,rJ 'ji:IJ (J()4 , ln<J,a {figs.37, 48): Museum R1etberg. Zurich (fig.66): National Gallery of l'ld,t ,1; (li /'J) t'i\l, t'. 17t' f'.:11 ((J79) ;.>(l6 5759 Vic1oria. Australia (fig.62 ): National Museum. New Delhi (figs.5. 7. ,:111:1d •.;1r:,!1,1H1<t'O,·:'.,;r1<;t r,r;t 15): Osterreisches Museum fur Angewandte Kunst. Vienna (fig.21 ): Prince of Wales Museum. Mumbai (fig.58 ): Royal Library, Windsor r .,,1 ,1,,,,1,1 r, , '.,:,r:,1,•,:,, f 11,u1t1.•,t11,ri. Alir11eclabacJ 2002 Castle {figs.38. 39): Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz. ,,f < ·'•l•f" 'l' ·I·, 11,,, ·t:,r,1111•, •:·:,:,·/', ,n1;1!1d<:cJ 1n ltl1S volun1c Berlin (119 19): Victoria & Albert Museum. London (figs.26, 30. 43. ;1··.1 ,1, H 11: rt:·.r J1:r.tr1t: :11Jth<,r~, 76) and Walters Art Gallery. Baltimore (f,g.40). The generosity and the courlesy of all these collectors and 1ns111ut1ons 1s most thankfully ackno'A·ledged. Google Original from Digitized by UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CONTENTS Page Preface 2 List of Text Illustrations 3 The Patka: A short history 6 Line drawings showing Patkas in wear 78 The Catalogue 83 Select Bibliography 210 Concordance 213 Supplement The Mughal Patka: A Technical Overview by Rahul Jain 215 Appendices 231 Google Original from Digitized by UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PREFACE The present volume on the Patka-'that long and elegant strip of textile which adorned nearly every noble waist in India once'-is written in recognition of the fact that, considering the vastness of our land and the expanse of our history, remarkably little work on Indian costumes has been done till now. Clearly, this volume, the sixth in an ongoing series, is meant primarily to serve as a catalogue of yet another collection in the Calico Museum of Textiles; but it attempts at the same time to go well beyond that: tracing in close, dense detail, the history of the apparel-or costume accessory, if one so likes- that the patka was. Associated almost exclusively as it has been for far too long with the Mughals- the sumptuousness and the dazzling range of Mughal patkas has ensured that-, the patka goes much further back into the past, for it belongs to that extensive family of girdles and zones and belts, of which one sees an incredible variety in early Indian sculpture and painting. And since both the form and the function of the patka kept subtly changing over time, following those changes alone keeps leading one into different and exciting worlds: of materials and technique and design on the one hand, and of influences, connections, social meanings, and strata, on the other. When studied and analysed from close. while keeping the larger picture in view, every item of apparel can turn into a window. And it is through this window that, for the first time, one sees, in this volume, a discussion of patkas worn by women, and of the styles that came to be adopted at the Deccani, Rajasthani, and Pahari courts, apart from that of the Great Mughals. In its own way, thus, this volume on patkas in the Calico collection aims at making a contribution towards an understanding of Indian costumes as a whole. One comes frequently upon patkas, especially precious-looking Mughal patkas, in major textile collections across the world, but the group in the Calico Museum forms what is possibly the most extensive, and richest, group of its kind to have survived anywhere.There are as many as sixty-two of them in the collection, and each of these is reproduced.catalogued and described in this volume. Since, however, a true appreciation of the patka depends in part upon an understanding of the highly complex and sophisticated techniques involved in the production of these remarkable objects, analyses of these techniques have been incorporated in the work. Rahul Jain's technical essay, providing an overview of the Mughal patka, was specially written for this volume, and the two early articles on the Mughal sash by Milton Sonday and Nabuko Katijani. are reproduced with kind permission, for they provide further, valuable insights into aspects of technique. Taken together, this material, together with the introductory essay on the history of the patka, presents, it is hoped. as complete a picture of this fine item of apparel as is possible to piece together at present. To the vision of Gautam and Gira Sarabhai, who put the magnificent Calico collections together, and who not only planned but also sustained a series of scholarly publications treating of them, this volume owes a deep debt. But theirs apart, there are other debts. other kindnesses, which one acknowledges with gratitude and pleasure. Thanks are due, thus. to John Irwin and Margaret Hall for their early work, and insights, on the collections; to Milton Sonday and Nabuko Kajitani for their support. and for allowing reproduction of their two articles included here; to Senshoku To Seikatsusha for their sumptuous publication on Indian Royal Brocade. establishing the remarkable quality of some of the patkas in the collection; and to Rahul Jain for contributing his valuable, and sensitively written, technical essay to the volume. Krishna Riboud, Dashrath Patel. and Martand Singh gave willingly of their time and friendly help, whenever it was needed, while Prof. N.N. Udwadia shared with me his deep knowledge of plants and botanical terms when it came to 'decoding' some of the herbal motifs seen in these patkas. To the various collectors and museums (listed and thanked individually, elsewhere, in this volume) whose collections have been drawn upon in illustrating the essay, much gratitude is due. And. finally, I am conscious of. and most thankful for. the dedication with which so many colleagues and the staff at the Sarabhai Foundation worked on putting this volume together. B.N.G. 2 Google Original from Digitized by UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LIST OF TEXT ILLUSTRATIONS Fig .1 Mandhata, the Universal Emperor(?); panel from Jaggayyapeta; 1st century BC(?). Madras State Museum, Chennai. Fig.2 Yakshi, from a railing at Bharhut; 2nd century BC. Indian Museum, Calcutta. Fig.3 Female figure, supporting a stone bowl; from Fyzabad, I century AD; Bharat Kala Bhavan, Varanasi. Fig.4 The Yakshi Chandra, from Bharhut; 2nd century BC; Indian Museum, Calcutta. Fig.5 Yaksha figure, from Patna, Bihar; 3rd-2nd century B.C; National Museum, New Delhi. Fig.6 Equestrian royal figure, from a railing at Bharhut. 2nd century BC; Indian Museum, Calcutta. Fig.7 Vishnu with crown and royal jewels, Gupta, 5th century AD; National Museum, New Delhi. Fig.8 Garuda, kneeling, Nepal; ca.11th century; the Kronos Collections. Fig.9 Chashtana, the Kushana Satrap; Mathura, 2nd century: Government Museum, Mathura. Fig.10 Jayatuk, son of Shridhar; engraving on stone: Rajasthan, AD 1229; Samidveshvara Mahadeva temple, Chittorgarh. Fig.11 The battle between Bharat and Bahubali, Painting on wooden book-cover; Western India, c.11th century; formerly in the Sarabhai Nawab Collection, Ahmedabad. Fig.12 Consultations inside a fortress-palace, folio from an unidentified ms. in the Chaurapanchasika. style, c.1500; B.K. Birla collection, Calcutta. Fig.13 Kama shooting his arrow at Krishna, folio from a Gita Govinda manuscript; Rajasthan or Gujarat, c.1580; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles. Fig.14 Krishna Battles the Armies of the Deman Naraka (detail), folio from the 'Palam' Bhagavata Purana series; northern India, mid-16th century; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Fig.15 Krishna and Balarama take leave of Nanda; folio from the 'Palam' Bhagavata Purana series: northern India, mid-16th century: National Museum, New Delhi. Fig.16 Krishna kills Kamsa's washerman; folio from the 'lssarda' Bhagavata Purana series: northern India, mid-16th century: the Kronos collections. Fig .1 7 A Royal entertainment, folio from a Jainesque Sultanate Shahnama ms.: northern India. 15th century. Fig.18 Preparation of food for the Sultan of Mandu, folio from a Ni'mat Nama ms: Mandu, ca.1500: India Office Library, London. Fig.19 Humayun and his brothers in a garden: Mughal, ca.1550; Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin. Fig.20 The hunter and the king of Kamarupa: folio from a Tuti-nama, ms.; Mughal, ca.1560-1565: The Cleveland Museum of Art. Fig.21 Mihrdukht's escape from dangerous men; folio from the Hamza-nama; Mughal, ca.1562 1577; Osterreichisches Museum fur Angewandte Kunst, Vienna. Fig.22 Portrait of Mir Musawwir; Mughal, ca.1570. Musee Guimet, Paris. Fig.23 Tale of the cunning Siddhikari; folio from a Kathasaritasagara ms.; Mughal, c.1590; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles. Fig.24 The truth about a man's madness is revealed; folio from the Chester Beatty Tuti- nama ms; Mughal, ca.1580; Chester Beatty Library, Dublin. Fig.25 Mihrdukht shoots her bow at the ring; folio from the Hamza-nama; Mughal, c.1562-77. Howard Hodgkin collection. Fig .26 The Emperor Akbar orders Adham Khan's death; folio from an Akbar-nama ms. ; Mughal, ca.1590; Victoria & Albert Museum, London. Fig.27 The Emperor Akbar receiving Mirza Aziz Koka; Mughal, ca.1602; Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati. 3 Google Original from Digitized by UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Fig .28 Jahangir and the weighing ceremony of Prince Khurram. from a ms. of the Jahangir nama; Mughal, ca.1610-1615; British Museum, London. Fig.29 Prince Daniyal; leaf from the Kevorkian album; Mughal, ca.1605; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Fig.30 Shah Jahan at the age of 25 years; Mughal, ca.1617; Victoria & Albert Museum, London. Fig.31 lnayat Khan at a young age; Mughal, ca.1615; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Fig.32 Portrait of Jamal Khan Qarawal, from the same leaf as fig. 31 above; Mughal, ca.1615; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Fig.33 Jahangir embracing Shah 'Abbas, from the Leningrad Album; Mughal, ca.1618-20; Freer Gallery of Art. Washington. Fig . 34 Portrait of 'Isa Khan; Mughal, ca.1620; Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Collection. Fig . 35 Dalliance on a Terrace: Jahangir embracing Nur Jahan (?); Mughal. c.1615; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles. Fig.36 Two young women in a royal setting; Bikaner, early 17th century. Fig .37 Jahangir in Darbar, Mughal, ca.1620; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Fig .38 Grandees at the court (detail from a double-page folio from the Padshahnama: Shah Jahan receiving his three eldest sons); Mughal. ca.1640; the Royal Library, Windsor Castle. Fig.39 Noblemen in attendance (detail from a folio from the Padshahnama: the Weighing of Shah Jahan); Mughal, ca.1635; the Royal Library, Windsor Castle. Fig.40 Shah Jahan enthroned; Mughal, ca.1627; Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. Fig.41 Shah Jahan on a terrace; Mughal, ca.1627-28; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Fig.42 Shah Jahan receiving Dara Shukoh; folio from the late Shah Jahan album; Mughal, ca.1650; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles. Fig.43 Portrait of Shah Jahan in his fortieth year; Mughal, 1632; Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Fig.44 Standing portrait of Mirza Mukarram Khan; Mughal, c.1645; Fondation Custodia, Paris. Fig.45 Portrait of Baqir Khan; Mughal, ca.1635; Private collection, Geneva. Fig.46 The Emperor Aurangzeb in Darbar; Mughal, ca.1660; formerly in the Cartier Collection. Fig.47 Sultan Husain Nizam Shah I of Ahmadnagar. Deccan, Ahmadnagar, 1554; Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati. Fig.48 An African Official; Deccan, Ahmednagar, Deccan.ca.1610-1620; Museum of Fine Arts. Boston. Fig.49 Sultan Murtaza (?) Nizam Shah enthroned; Deccan, Ahmednagar, c .1575; Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. Fig.SO Kamodi Ragini, leaf from a Ragamala series; Deccan. Ahmadnagar, ca.1595; Lallgarh Palace, Bikaner. Fig.51 Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II hawking; Deccan. Bijapur, c. 1590; Academy of Sciences, Leningrad. Fig .52 Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II holding castanets; Deccan, Bijapur, c.1610-20 British Museum. London. Fig .53 Sultan Muhammad Outb Shah of Golconda; Deccan, Golconda, circa 1620; Private Collection. Fig.54 Yogini; Deccan. Bijapur. early 17th century; Chester Beatty Library. Dublin. Fig .SS Muhammad Adil Shah and lkhlas Khan; Deccan, Bijapur; 1650-75; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles. Fig.56 Allah-Wirdi Khan with attendants in a garden: Deccan. Hyderabad. early 18th century; Maharaja Sawai Mansingh 11 Museum, Jaipur. F,g.57 Ragini Megha Malhara. from a Ragamala series: Rajasthan. Mewar. dated 1628: formerly in the Motichand Khajanchi collection. Google Original from Digitized by UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Fig.58 Raja Bijay Singh of Marwar with his decoy buck; Rajasthan, Marwar, c.1720; Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay. Fig.59 Maharaja Dhiraj Singh of Raghugarh slaying a bear: Rajasthan, Raghugarh, early 18th century; Jagdish and Kamla Mittal, Museum of Indian Art, Hyderabad. Fig.60 Maharana Sangram Singh out riding; Rajasthan, Mewar, first quarter of 18th century; Goenka Collection, Bombay. Fig.61 Rawat Gokul Das of Deogarh shooting fowl by a lake; Rajasthan, Deogarh, dated 1806; Howard Hodgkin Collection, London. Fig.62 Portrait of Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh of Jaipur; Rajasthan, Jaipur, ca.1760-65; National Gallery of Victoria, Australia. Fig.63 Dauji II performing arati on Sharada Purnima day; Rajasthan, Nathdwara, first quarter of 19th century; Amit Ambalal collection, Ahmedabad. Fig.64 Rao Bhoj Rathor; Rajasthan, Bikaner, dated 1606; Lallgarh Palace, Bikaner. Fig.65 Raja Mahipat Dev of Mankot with a courtier and attendants; Pahari, from a Mankot workshop, ca.1670-1680. Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh. Fig.66 Raja Balwant Singh of Jasrota standing in a window; Pahari, ca.1755-60; Museum Rietberg, Zurich. Fig.67 Nayika Mudita Parakiya, from an early Rasamanjari series; Pahari, ca.1660-70; Edwin Binney Collection, San Diego. Fig.68 Krisna lifting mount Govardhan, from a Gita Govinda.series; Pahari, 1730; N.C. Mehta collection, Ahmedabad. Fig.69 Vishnu-Varaha breaks Hiranyaksha's trident; Pahari, ca.1740. Lahore Museum, Lahore. Fig.70 The Demon Pralamba carries off Balarama: Pahari, from a Mankot workshop, first quarter of 18th century. Fig.71 Maharaja Sidh Sen of Mandi receiving an emissary; Pahari, ca.1700; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Fig.72 Raja Gaur son of Mandi; Pahari, ca.1680; N.C. Mehta collection, Ahmedabad. Fig.73 Maharaja Sansar Chand of Kangra (detail); Pahari, ca.1810; Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh. Fig.74 Raja Prakash Chand of Guler, seated smoking; Pahari, ca.1775; N.C. Mehta collection, Ahmedabad. Fig. 75 A syce holding two carriage horses; Company school, mid-19th century; MetropolitanMuseum of Art, New York. Fig.7 6 A Malabar fortuneteller: Company school, ca.1800; Victoria & Albert Museum, London. 5 Google Original from Digitized by UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Fig. 1: Mandhata. the Universal Emperor{?): panel from Jaggayyapeta: 1st century BC(?) Google Original from Digitized by UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN