I think the class last week had an underlying note of symbolism throughout. We started by watching 'Hidden treasures of Indian Art' , a documentary by Griff Rhys Jones, where we attempted to understand why the different variations of embroidery produced in Gujarat are so important to those who make them. This was followed by an engaging lecture by Carl , who spoke about motifs, their symbolism across cultures, and most importantly how cultures integrated through such motifs and icons.
In Bhuj, Gujarat, the narrator was tracing back a story approximately 7000 years. Through him, we learnt about their craft, the amount of time (nearly 300 hours at times) invested in one piece , and how each piece of clothing has a special role or significance. For example, the 'mata' or bodice is created to tell a story. Their's is a dogmatic belief system, all fabric used for special occasions must be religiously sanctioned, what may be known as shrine fabrics.Here, and throughout the video, we see the heavy stress layed on the religious or sacred aspects that relate to cloth.
Marriage, is looked upon as a transfer of physical and financial responsibility Needless to say, it is one of the grandest, most auspicious times for the families involved. Textiles are the largest portions of the gifts exchanged during this occasion. They say, that because of the time invested in collecting the dowry (and creating the textiles), a woman could be as much as 35 while getting married. It is believed that a woman does not even need to speak during her wedding, the cloth she adorns says enough about her (caste/ class systems followed in villages). Sometimes, textiles help in providing an illusion of what the people cannot afford. Silver and gold thread is used heavily around the neck, as a substitute for too much jewellery.
Carl's lecture spoke of motifs and symbolism through carpets. It focused on the silk road, where migrations of such objects took place from east to west ( as opposed to north to south). Both ideas, and art forms were interchanged through this pathway. The interesting part that the lecture shed light on, was that motifs seem to leave no physical trace of their transformation. They need to be studied across cultures, and certain assumptions are made by putting pieces of information together.
Painting are one such source, through which these transformations may be tracked. Through the carpets depicted in the painting, dates of the patterns and motifs are estimated. what really stood out for me, was the difference in how the same object was treated in different parts of the world. What was sacred to Islam, and the parts that practiced it , was used as a coffee table carpet in parts of europe.
In several paintings, we see a painting within a painting. It is clear that as such it has no significance, but the artist chose to represent it due to its beauty, reminding us of the famous 'art for art's sake'. There were several motifs that were multi-layered capable of providing a broad variety of symbolism. Unicorns and dragons have a different meaning in china from elsewhere.
Carpets are compared to poems. They are both sacred, and a means of storytelling.
In Bhuj, Gujarat, the narrator was tracing back a story approximately 7000 years. Through him, we learnt about their craft, the amount of time (nearly 300 hours at times) invested in one piece , and how each piece of clothing has a special role or significance. For example, the 'mata' or bodice is created to tell a story. Their's is a dogmatic belief system, all fabric used for special occasions must be religiously sanctioned, what may be known as shrine fabrics.Here, and throughout the video, we see the heavy stress layed on the religious or sacred aspects that relate to cloth.
Marriage, is looked upon as a transfer of physical and financial responsibility Needless to say, it is one of the grandest, most auspicious times for the families involved. Textiles are the largest portions of the gifts exchanged during this occasion. They say, that because of the time invested in collecting the dowry (and creating the textiles), a woman could be as much as 35 while getting married. It is believed that a woman does not even need to speak during her wedding, the cloth she adorns says enough about her (caste/ class systems followed in villages). Sometimes, textiles help in providing an illusion of what the people cannot afford. Silver and gold thread is used heavily around the neck, as a substitute for too much jewellery.
Carl's lecture spoke of motifs and symbolism through carpets. It focused on the silk road, where migrations of such objects took place from east to west ( as opposed to north to south). Both ideas, and art forms were interchanged through this pathway. The interesting part that the lecture shed light on, was that motifs seem to leave no physical trace of their transformation. They need to be studied across cultures, and certain assumptions are made by putting pieces of information together.
Painting are one such source, through which these transformations may be tracked. Through the carpets depicted in the painting, dates of the patterns and motifs are estimated. what really stood out for me, was the difference in how the same object was treated in different parts of the world. What was sacred to Islam, and the parts that practiced it , was used as a coffee table carpet in parts of europe.
In several paintings, we see a painting within a painting. It is clear that as such it has no significance, but the artist chose to represent it due to its beauty, reminding us of the famous 'art for art's sake'. There were several motifs that were multi-layered capable of providing a broad variety of symbolism. Unicorns and dragons have a different meaning in china from elsewhere.
Carpets are compared to poems. They are both sacred, and a means of storytelling.
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