pothu (Bag)
About this object
History of use
Groom’s ceremonial bag, used during a wedding ceremony.
Narrative
Purchased by Milton and Beverly Israel while traveling in India.
Cultural context
ceremonial
Specific techniques
couching; satin stitch; buttonhole stitch
Physical description
Small, flat, rectangular, multi-coloured pouch made by folding a long, narrow, embroidered panel in half crosswise and stitching up the long sides, leaving one narrow end open. The embroidery is so densely worked that almost none of the background textile is visible. The two sides of the pouch are almost identical in design and colour. Each side has a rectangular centre design panel embroidered with diamond shaped motifs outlined in black, some embellished with mirrors; the centre panel is outlined in dark yellow stitching, a row of mirrors interspersed with embroidered bars, and an edging of black “braid” made from dense bundles of black thread that are laid and couched at wide intervals. There is a pompom made of cotton thread at each corner. The pouch is lined with red printed cotton gauze.
Categories
Materials
Date Made
Before 1988
Date Acquired
27 Oct 1988
How Acquired
Donated
Credit Line
The Beverly and Milton Israel Indian Textile CollectionMore...
Measurements
Overall: 19.2 cm x 17.6 cm
Object Number
1330/5