TEXTILES
India: Gujarat
Sample (plangi process, step 1)
Plain weave; Resist dyed, plangi; Painted
46 x 21 in. (117 x 53.5 cm)
Elizabeth Bayley Willis Collection, gift of Virginia and Prentice Bloedel
TC 64.8-1, t1

The desired pattern is sketched onto the cloths with a fugitive colorant such as charcoal. many cloths are ties and dyed simultaneously. These cloths are doubled at the center, thereby creating a mirror image patterning. Bright yellow, green, and purple colors are applied locally after the ties have been put in place. The final step is immersion dyeing in bright red. The ties are then removed showing a multi-colored textile. -- Label copy for Courtyard, Bazaar, Temple: Traditions of Textile Expression in India, Bellevue Art Museum, June 12, 1982 to July 25, 1982.