Tea Reds, Ferrus Black: The Untold Stories of Indian Trade Textiles in Sri Lanka

Textile exhibitions across India have a culture of fraternity. The culture of a general passion and the culture of championing, and sharing knowledge. Perhaps I am sensitive to it because there is a great hunger for learning through historical garments. Still, I go to the head Tea Reds, Ferrus Black: The Untold Stories of Indian Trade Textiles in Sri Lanka In MAP (Museum of Art and Photography) in Bengaluru. The exhibition is cuisted by textile designer and researcher Yash Sanotra, who spent fleeting time in the registry of the saree. Therefore, there is a disclaimer here: I had every reason to love the exhibition, before I put a foot in it.

It is divided into four volumes, dating in the 18th and 19th centuries with a piece of textile (hand painted, painted, modern-range bed cover and panel) and textile. The first determines the reference to detect trade in Sri Lanka. A model of Avondster (Swarup Bhattacharya, Wood, 2024), a Dutch East India Company Cargo ship is used to transport Arka Nut – which was ruined near Galle Harbor in 1659 – especially From the timeline and maritime trade focuses. And reports the physicality of the acclaimed technical disintegration show of Renuka Reddy’s Thinz process.

Avondster model Tea Reds, Ferrus Black

Tump and mythological motifs

The children’s version moves parallel to the main legend. It is attractive to play the game of finding motifs and clues and gather stickers through the exhibition, but the Portuguese artist and breeding the reproduction of Andre Renoso Seventeenth -century Clothes Printed In Ceylon (1619) Catchs the eye. In painting, the head of the crossers, a sea community, surrounded by common people wearing printed/painted clothes – perhaps manufactured in India – reflects beauty and cultural relations between our two countries.

Somna tupotiaA traditional rap-around apparel makes the main feature of the dress section. Puned rectangular cloth vesti From Tamil Nadu, a knitted sash or safe, secure, captures overlapping effects. Here, Sanhotra also introduces the noun to Sri Lanka’s generous preferences in Chintz Taple (A series of triangular shapes that appear in Southeast Asian textiles and art – they often have other painted patterns within them on the width of the cloth).

Palampors create the heart of the exhibition. Chay (red) and iron (black) are used specificly to show mythological motifs like Capricorn (Devi Ganga vehicle), Gandberunda (two-head birds) and Garuda, as well as cashew nuts and daily images of pomegranate, horses, elephants and peacocks. All of them, nine large clothes and seven pieces – all are relevant to the story of sea trade.

Palampor (19th century, cotton, natural color)

The section of the Sri Lankan workshop focused the Dutch on the production of fine chints in Jaffna, and how the textile model in India affected the industry. South Indian weavers and diaries migrated to candy due to drought, and their participation in textile production adds a significant layer to the story. This suggests a mixture of local and migrant craftsmanship that contributes to the uniqueness of the chintz produced during this period.

The exhibition ends with sacred textiles, indicating that the calcium rich water present within the geography of the land produce rich red color. The motifs and their meanings are used to explain Mercury religion, Hinduism, indigenous Veded traditions (with emphasis on respecting the natural world). Can a Sammelan of different practices and history be really be overcome by color?

Reduction in textile check

Fantastic textiles and objects contribute to a magnificent design language, meaning to provoke “further scholarship”. However, very few real quantitative textile check It happens. Cursion.

Temple flag (19th century, cotton, natural color)

Sri Lanka and India have a history of spectacular peace, but also devastating conflicts. We share a strange culture born on faith and conservation of language, music, art and architecture. I have always admitted that the clothing for centuries takes the poignant posture of this loss and change within them. If exhibitions should mean glasses, it is a success. But perhaps it is also time for the audience to nude the cultural fraternity faction beyond the formula exhibitions around the motifs and color, under the guise of reflecting the deep meaning on our identity.

The author studies community, identity and material science as a student of textiles with the registry of sarees.