Art Institute of Chicago

Woven Textile Fragment

Probably Varanasi (Benares), India

Date

Probably 1870s

Medium

Brocaded silk

Culture

India

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Textiles like this were collected during the time of British rule over the Indian subcontinent (1858–1947), known in Hindi as the Raj. The British collected and categorized Indian textiles as part of colonial efforts to document natural resources and human-made goods throughout its empire. This period coincided with the industrialization of Britain’s textile industry, which sought to appropriate Indian expertise and provide manufacturers with inspiration and guidance as they attempted to replace certain Indian goods with British ones.

The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.