This is an all-encompassing survey from every region of the Indian subcontinent – including commercial, tribal and folk textiles.

The production of textiles in India continues to flourish as it has for centuries. Interactions between indigenous peoples, invaders, traders and explorers has built a culture legendary for its variety and colour. From the Rann of Kutch to the Coromandel coast, handloom weavers, block printers, painters, dyers and embroiderers are all creating the most extraordinary textiles.

The authors examine the cultural background: the history, the materials and the techniques – weaving, printing, painting and tie-and-dye. They then give a detailed region-by-region account of traditional textile production, including chapters on Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

A dazzling array of images provides an unsurpassed visual representation of the textiles, while a detailed reference section with further reading, museums and information on technical terms completes this essential guide.

John Gillow is author of African Textiles and Traditional Indonesian Textiles and co-author of World Textiles, Arts and Crafts of India and The Traditional Architecture of Indonesia.
Nicholas Barnard is author of Living with Decorative Textiles and Living with Folk Art and co-author of Living with Kilims and African Majesty.

Also of interest
Indian Textiles in the East
African Textiles
The Traditional Jewelry of India
World Textiles: A Concise History