COSTUMES
India: Orissa, Sambalpur, Bargarh-Sonepur area
Bhulia (Meher) group [?]
Sari (woman's)
1956
Plain weave; Supplementary warp pattern weave; Supplementary weft patterning; Resist dyed, warp ikat; Resist dyed, weft ikat; Resist dyed, double ikat
Cotton; Vegetable dye (indigo); Vegetable dye (lodha tree)
4 yds. 3 1/2 in. x 1 yd. 2 3/4 in. (3.75 m x 98.4 cm)
Elizabeth Bayley Willis Collection, gift of Virginia and Prentice Bloedel
TC 58.1-399

The saktapar domuha saris are worn for special events such as marriages and festivals. Saktapar is the regional name in Orissa for chauper, a game played throughout India and in Orissa, played during the marriage ceremony. In the central field of this sari double ikat patterning depicts the chauper game board, a recurrent design element in textiles, painting and architecture. -- Label copy for Courtyard, Bazaar, Temple: Traditions of Textile Expression in India, Bellevue Art Museum, June 12 to July 25, 1982.