Description
Royal and noble women of the western Himalayan valley of Chamba perfected the technique of double-sided embroidery in their creation of rumal, which they acquired as gifts on the occasion of their marriage. For this pictorial composition, an artist drew guide lines using a fine brush on handmade muslin, and women filled in the forms with brightly-colored untwisted silk floss. Inspired from Pahari paintings, scenes of Krishna with the gopis and cowherds coexist with Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana adored by Hanuman.
Provenance
George P. Bickford [1901–1991], Cleveland Heights, OH; William E. Ward [1922–2004], Solon, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?–1996); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1996–)
Accession Number
1996.349
Medium
embroidery, silk, and silver wire on cotton
Dimensions
Overall: 64.5 x 114 cm (25 3/8 x 44 7/8 in.)
Classification
Embroidery
Credit Line
Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward