Bengal's textile history enters the gallery

An exhibition in Kolkata showcases historic textiles of undivided Bengal, from jamdani and brocades to lesser-known cotton weaves

- Sohini Dey

It may have been light as air but in its heyday, the Bengal Muslin was a heavyweight whose popularity extended to Europe. Two garments from the Weavers Studio Resource Centre (WSRC) in Kolkata narrate this story. One is a jamdani angrakha woven with the royal coat of arms of Wajid Ali Shah, the last king of Awadh who was exiled to Kolkata in 1856. Likely to have been made in Tanda (near Faizabad, in modern-day Uttar Pradesh) or Dhaka (Bengal) in 1848, the gossamer weave softens the hard contours of the royal insignia. The other is a muslin gown made in Dhaka in the 1830s and traded to Scotland. Its elaborately embroidered hem, ruched bodice and neckline and gently billowing sleeves may have been au courant then, but it would as easily find many takers among today's vintage fashion connoisseurs.

These two garments are among the exhibits at Textiles of Bengal: A Shared Legacy, an exhibition that opened in Kolkata on 30 January and will run till 31 March. Presented by WSRC in association with Kolkata Centre for Creativity and JSW Foundation, the exhibition will showcase the legacy of Bengal textiles across West Bengal and Bangladesh through four centuries. Conservation efforts are led by Anupam Sah, while Mayank Mansingh Kaul serves as curator and Reha Sodhi helms the exhibition design.