TEXTILES
India: Gujarat, Saurashtra, Kathiawar
Hindu
Wall hanging (chakla -- for dowry)
1955
Plain weave; Applique; Reverse applique
Cotton
32 x 32 1/4 in. (81.3 x 81.9 cm)
Elizabeth Bayley Willis Collection
TC 58.2-153

Applique often recycles older textiles and the double thickness makes them stronger and more practical for hangings, bags and camel blankets. This hanging was most likely made for a bride’s dowry and carries the elephant motif, symbol of fertility and good luck." --Label copy for Unpacking the Collection: Collecting Other Cultures: The Elizabeth Bayley Willis Collection, April 13, 1997, to June 12, 1998.