Curator

  • Art Institute Chicago
  • Harvard art museum
  • My Exhibition
A work made of cotton foundation, drawn work, silk embroidery, and mirrors.

Ceremonial Food Cloth

1850/1900

Pakistan, Sind Province

Pakistan

This cloth was made in the southern province of Sind, Pakistan, by a member of the Sodha community, a Hindu group that maintains close cultural connections to the Indian state of Rajasthan, just across Pakistan’s eastern border. The technique of drawn work—pulling selected threads out of the woven foundation—was used to create not only a grid that guided the embroidery, but also a decorative element.

Cotton foundation, drawn work, silk embroidery, and mirrors

Textiles