Textile Tour --Day 8

 

A day devoted to the Calico Museum, a place I had never heard of before this trip, and did not realize what a treasure it was until I saw it. Founded in 1949 by Shri Gautam Sarabhai and his sister Gira Sarabhai and the textile house Calico, the museum has now constrained itself to handicraft textiles and publications such as Historical Textiles Of India under the editorship of John Irwin, and, under the editorial direction of Dr Alfred Bühler, Contemporary Textile Craft Survey of India.

The Haveli within which the museum is housed.

I know that what we call calico west is the small flowered print very popular in the 60's. However here calico refers to the fabrics (and now handicrafts), at one time only from the town of Calicut but now anywhere. The Calico Museum is  extremely strict about photos, and you are not allowed to carry either a camera or a mobile phone into the museum. Fortunately there are images on the internet, so I claim credit for none of the following.

 

Patkas

15th to 19th century calico

Costumes, all in plastic to protect them

 

Rooms and rooms and rooms...overwhelming

 We later went to an evening market where most things sold were clothes and related items, like shoes and costume jewelry.  Dinner on the roof of the hotel followed.  A full day, thank goodness not as hot as the first day here, and I'm feeling almost normal.

Milkweed flower, a real weed everywhere here

Ahmendabad night from the roof

Janet showing her moves with the local dancer

The skirt seller