“Pra–Kashi: Silk, Gold & Silver from the City of Light” - was an exhibition of textiles showcasing the finest traditions of contemporary weaving at the National Museum of India held in 2019. These textiles have been hand-woven on traditional Indian drawlooms over the last 25 years at ASHA, a silk weaving workshop in Varanasi. They are the product of a unique contemporary experiment when all similar historic centres of drawloom production worldwide (Mughal India, 1526 – 1857; Safavid Iran, 1501 – 1722; and Ottoman Turkey, 1299 – 1922) have fallen silent.
“This exhibition charts the evolution of ASHA’s design repertoire from floral motifs to animal images, and on to the human figure, the last being exhibited here for the very first time. Every fresh departure was the result of enhanced technical innovations, which meant greater complexity across multiple processes. The display represents the full range of luxury silks that were manufactured historically from the beginning of the first millennium using the Taquetè-Samite, Lampas, Extended Samite, Brocaded Double-Weave, Damask, Velvet and Voided Velvet weaving techniques. “
- Pramod Kumar KG (exhibition curator)
“ The show covers the three most celebrated genres of drawloom-patterned silk known from the past two millennia. One, the complex, complementary-weft patterned fabrics known to textile historians as taquetè and samite; two, the complex, supplementary- weft patterned silk called lampas; and three, a complex supplementary-warp patterned silk with a carpet-like pile, velvet. ”
- RAHUL JAIN
Rahul Jain is a leading expert on the traditional textile arts of India. Apart from his well-known scholarship and writings on India's historical textiles, he is recognized across the world for his workshop practice in drawloom silk- weaving. For 25 years, he has run the experimental workshop, ASHA, producing some of the world's finest, and rarest, woven silks.
ASHA WORKSHOP
From the drawlooms at the silk weaving workshop Asha, in Varanasi Uttar Pradesh - these silk panels now feature in several major museum collections, including the British Museum, London; the Musee Guimet, Paris; the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Textile Museum, Washington DC. In 2013, ASHA was selected as one of ten craft workshops from across the world for the Jameel Prize 3, coordinated by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Most recently, in 2016, ASHA's work was featured in 'Fabric of India', a landmark exhibition on the history of Indian textiles at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
All images courtesy of Rahul Jain, Devi Art Foundation and Eka Archiving Services. The full catalogue and VR viewing room is available HERE.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
LENDERS TO THE EXHIBITION
Suresh Neotia and Family Collection, Kolkata Lekha and Anupam Poddar Collection, New Delhi
Cristina Patnaik, New Delhi
Jamuna Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
Helen and Rolf von Bueren, Bangkok
ASHA WORKSHOP
SILKWEAVERS: Jamaluddin Ansari, Kamaluddin Ansari, Samim Ansari, Nasim Ansari,
Saddam Ansari, Hasmat Ansari and Shauqat Ansari
PATTERNMAKERS: Jaffer Ali Naqshband and Mohiuddin Ansari
WORKSHOP SUPERVISORS: Azizul Haque and Anwar Ahmad
GENERAL ASSISTANT: Alauddin Ansari
METAL THREAD (ZARI) SPECIALIST: Shyamsundar Jaiswal
TEXTILE SPECIALISTS: Rahul Jain, Vinay Singh and Abhishek Jain
CURATORIAL: EKA ARCHIVING SERVICES
Pramod Kumar KG
Ankita Chugh, Talib Ahmad and Sameer Ahmed
EXHIBITION: DEVI ART FOUNDATION
Lekha Poddar and Anupam Poddar
Priya Chauhan and Sandhita Chandra
Prem Prakash, Shyamoo Vishwakarma (Vijay) and Surinder Singh Textile Installation: Imran
Lighting: Kanhaiyalal
Painters: Pankaj, Karan, Shivram, Lalu, Deepak, Tej Singh
EXHIBITION SUPPORT
Sangeeta Gupta, Prakash Rao and Czaee Shah
EXHIBITION & GRAPHIC DESIGN
Reha Sodhi
TEXTILE CONSERVATION & MOUNTING
Deepshikha Kalsi
TRANSLATIONS
Vinay Singh / Rajni Sharma
GARMENT DESIGN
Vivek Narang
PHOTOGRAPHY
Asha Workshop, Devi Art Foundation, Raju Shovan Gandhi, Eka Archiving Services
360 ̊ PHOTOGRAPHY & VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE CREATED BY
Siddharth Seth, Udita Jain, ASCARI Studios
PRODUCED BY
Bongwater Films / ASCARI Studios
NATIONAL MUSEUM
DIRECTION & GUIDANCE
Dr B.R Mani, Director General
Shri Subrata Nath, Additional Director General
SUPERVISION
Shri P.K. Nagta, Director (C& A)
Shri K.K.S. Deori, Curator (Display)/HoD (NCD)
NATIONAL MUSEUM EXHIBITION CO-ORDINATION TEAM
Dr. Arakhita Pradhan, Dy. Curator (Exhibition) & I/c Curator (Public Relations)
and Ms. Visetuonuo Kiso, Assistant Curator (Exhibition)
NATIONAL MUSEUM CURATORIAL TEAM
Shri Zahid Ali Ansari, Deputy Curator (Arms & Armours), Dr. Kanak Lata Singh, Assistant Curator (Painting)
and Ms. Komal Pande, Assistant Curator (Numismatics & Epigraphy)