ajanta its textile heritage

Paintings of Ajanta Caves

(2nd century BC to 6th century AD)

Textile Heritage of Ajanta

by Bhushavali

(selvi.n.bhushavali@gmail.com)&

Swaminathan(sswami99@gmail.com)

Ajanta a storehouse of information about the period:

costumes & textile designjewellerymusical instruments social ordercourt etiquette ideas of beauty, andcustoms

Ajanta – Its Textile Heritage

A study by

Bhushavali. N B.Des (Textile) - NIFTUnder the guidance of

S. Swaminathan

Dyes, dyeing and bleaching

During the period of Ajanta, all dyes were natural.

The colors of the fabric shown in Ajanta are essentially red, black and blue, their tints, tones and shades and

their combinations.

Dyes

Bleaching is required for absorbing any dye in the fabric.

Bleaching removes all impurities and makes the fabric white.

Natural bleaching agents were

cowdung with milk or soapnut.

Bleaching

Two different whites could be seen in this garment.

One brighter than the other; the whiter is bleached.

Ceiling painting (Cave 2)

Nalagiri (Cave 17)

Red dye

Mordant is a substance that helps to fix the dye to the fabric either before or after

or during the dyeing process.

Red is the very strong mordant dye called Indian Madder - Manjishta.

Manjishta roots are boiled with water and the fabric/yarn is treated in it and

kept in it for 20 to 30 mins.

Presently, alum is used as the pre-mordant.

Alum is powdered and boiled in water and the fabric/yarn is immersed in it and

let to be absorbed completely.

The concentration of Alum decides the depth of color.

The garment is pale maroonish,perhaps obtained by diluting madder dye

Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)

Sibi Jataka (Cave 17)

A solid red blouse!

Black dye

Black is obtained from iron rust.

Black dye is a mixture of jaggery and iron rods

let to mature and ferment for 10-20 days.

Iron rusts and becomes ferric oxide.

Black requires a tannin agent, and it is Myrobalan (tender kadukkai),which is ground well with milk

especially buffallo’s milk into a paste.

Fabric is soaked in this paste and myrobalan is gets absorbed.

Shankapala Jataka (Cave 1)

Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)

Garment is grey, a tone of black,

obtained by diluting iron rust mixture.

Blue dye

Indigo is used for blue.

It is obtained by fermenting Indigo leaves and making it oxygen-free and dyeing the fabric in this solution in vats.

The fabric is later let to dry in atmosphere and during which it again gets oxidized and comes out with the extremely fast blue dye which is embedded within the structure of the fabric.

Vidhurapanditha Jataka (Cave 2)

The blue fabric must be also a sheer fabric from the appearance of the folds style,

it must be a sheer fabric.

Modern

With the advent of chemical dyes, natural dyes have taken a back seat.

But there exists a eco-conscious market for natural dyes.

Also some traditional textiles that survive like Kalamkari, ayurvedic dyes etc.

Traditional hand block printing techniques all over India like Machilipatam, Sanganer, Bagru etc

still use natural dyes.

Kalamkari

Yarn manipulation

Sectional warping

The stripes and checks are the outcome of sectional warping process.where yarn is warped in sections of colours.

Checked fabrics are created by with different coloured weft yarns

while weaving.

Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Cave 1)

Champeyya Jataka (Cave 1)

Care is taken to show concentration of colour in regions where same colour of warp and weft meet and dilution of colour in the other case

Modern

Ikat

Ikat is the process of designing the fabric even before weaving.

It is created by tying and dyeing the yarn after warping but before weaving.

It’s a very complicated process where the design and colours of the final fabric are decided before weaving and are dyed accordingly.

In double ikat, both warp and weft are patterned and it is carefully aligned during weaving.

Shankapala Jataka (Cave 1)

Seen here is Bodhisattvawearing a lower garmentwith stripes of ikat

patternsseen on it

Between the stripes smallcheckered patterns are

seenwhich appears like double

ikat…!!!

Shankapala Jataka (Cave 1)

Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)

The queen is draped in a lowergarment, striped with ikat at regular intervals

Modern

Available as Sambalpuri in Orissa, Pochampally in Andhra Paradesh and Patan Patola in Gujarat in Handloom sector.

Also seen in the market as some mill woven fabrics in single ikat available at very cheap prices. Double ikat is impossible in mill wovens.

Ikat weaving in OrissaWinding yarn onto bobbin for weft work

Ikat weaving in OrissaPreparing the loom

heddles

Ikat weaving in OrissaWeaving in pitloom

Ikat weaving in OrissaWeaving in pitloom

Finished Ikat Saree

Dip-dye yarn

This is the process in which the yarn bundle is dipped in the dye stuff and then slowly removed in steps.

This creates a fantastic hue in the base then dissolves down to a pale color as it reaches the top, followed by the un-dipped white.

Using this yarn would create a hazed effect on the fabric.

Sibi Jataka (Cave 1)

Bodhisatva is wearing a fabric which is woven

withsectional warping

Between the stripes The filling is irregular,likely to be woven with dip-dyed yarn

Modern

Seen in both handloom and mill sectors.

Wide variety in all colors and also multi coloured dip-dyed

yarns available.

Block print

Blocks carved with exquisite patterns.

Blocks coated with dyes, when pressed on to cloth, the cloth gets embossed pattern on the block.

The dye used should be theextremely fast ferric oxide

obtainedfrom iron rust.

Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)

Modern

• Hand block printing is available all over India as Machipatna Kalamkari in Andhra, Bagh and Bagru in Madhya Pradesh, and Sanganer in Rajasthan etc.

Bandhani

Bandhani is a resist dyeing method where the fabric is tied with a string and dyed.

This process creates ring shaped pattern on the fabric, whose size may differ in accordance

to the size of the object used to create the knots.

Objects from needle to create micro-sized ring to little grain that creates fairly larger rings.

A pattern is drawn on the fabric and these knots are made to follow that pattern thus creating the

final look.

Two in the gathering are wearing garments which cover the entire body. These garments have a dark background which has spotted design in pale colourWithin the pale spots are tiny dark spots, which is in bandhni.

Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)

These garments have a dark background which has spotted design in pale colour.

Within the pale spots are tiny dark spots, which is in bandhni.

Discharge print

Discharge printing is the process of printing a dyed fabric with a corrosive material to remove or discharge the dye and

to create the designIt is not certain whether this method existed

during the Ajanta period. But from the paintings it looks

that some fabric could have been discharge printed.In the present day bleaching agents are used

as the corrosive material.

Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)

This has a dark background with pale spots but this is not bandhni,But could be discharge printing.

Modern

Several optionsavailable in the market.

Negative printing, that is,printing the background

andLeaving the image area

white,may also be used to getthe same effect.

Khadi print

Khadi print is also called gold/silver print or metallic print

It is created by printing the fabric with an adhesive and then applying a sheet of filament on top of it and peeling off the unstuck areas.

The sheet of filament are similar to the ‘varakh’ which is seen as a decoration on several mithai sweets.

These are original gold or silver metal that is beaten up as an extremely fine sheet.

Seated Buddha (Cave 2)

Back rest - Pale spots on dark background

Discharge print or is it Khadi print.?

Modern

Though original Gold or silver foil is not used, fabrics are printed with golden and silver coloured powders and pigments to achieve similar effect at much cheaper prices.

Fine muslin – sheer fabric

Fine Dhaka Muslin has its own lore and legends attached to it.

That several layers of that extremely fine muslin still looks transparent.

That fine count and fine weave is a long lost treasure now.

Did the women depicted in Ajanta wear that fine muslin, as most of the women are bare-top and men are fully covered.?

The women on either sides are adorned with a single ikat fabrics while the one at the centre has a specific double ikat portion too.

Again they seem to be naked on top or wearing fine muslin.?

Vidhurapanditha Jataka (Cave 2)

Frayed edges

Frayed edges are the seen on woven fabrics at the edges where either warp or weft is removed at the edge of the fabric leaving only one of the yarns to hang loosely.

This is either done on the actual fabric itself but in this case the strength of the main fabric itself will be lost. Or it is done separately on another fabric and attached to the actual fabric, to prevent any loss of strength to the main fabric.

Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)

The edging is also given in a very

special way, might be embroidery,

or frayed edge knotted together

like in towels in the present day.

Modern

In Durga pujas in most of the north Indian states a red

coloured fabric with golden frayed edges is used as an

auspicious holy fabric.

Decorative stitch lines

Decorative stitch lines are the stitch lines that are done for the sake of decoration and not for functional purpose. Sometimes, certain stitches may serve both the purposes.

Hamsa Jataka (Cave 17)

This is a stitched garment

and depicted with stitch lines.

The neck line has a

special doublestitch line. Is it

fordecorativepurposes?

The hemline of thegarment is at thigh

levellike several others inAjanta, except the

clownin Cave I

The shawl above is a sheer fabric that is draped

Modern

Decorative stitch lines are used in many garments like jean pockets, around necklines, and in accessories like shoes, bags etc.

Applique & patchwork

Appliqué is the process of applying a decoratively cut fabric on top of the main fabric purely for decorative purposes.

Patchwork is the process of patching several bits of fabrics to form the main fabric itself. This may be done for decorative or functional purposes.

Appliqué has a base fabric while patchwork does not have one.

Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)

Here is the evidenceof appliqué work.

Modern

Several patchworks and appliqués that are manual sewing machine stitched and some handworks like Orissa, Gujarat applique are also available.

Knitting

Knitting is the process of inter-looping a single yarn to develop the fabric unlike weaving where 2 yarns are interlaced.

Knitted fabrics are stretchable and that is the main function of it as well.

Ceiling Painting (Cave 2)

An example of knitting;also knitting with 2 different

yarns balls at the time.

They knew everything !!!

Modern

• Knitting has grown huge scale with the advent of knitting machines and circular knitting machines.

• Knitted fabrics that was once meant only for inner wear and socks has now taken a shape as fashionable fabric.

Patterns & garment construction

The usuals

The usual ways of covering the body is with a tight skirt like garment that covers till the knee and upper part of the body is generally left open both for men and women.

In the case of saints a sheer fabric is draped all over the body

Lustration (Cave 1)

The women are wearing only lower garments.Bodhisatva is completely covered from top to

bottomin a sheer fabric

Salwar kameez

• A Salwar is a lower garment like a trouser and kameez is an upper garment like a top that ends at almost at the knee level.

• Several variations of this are seen in the present day market with varying hemlines, different styled neckline, sleeves etc.

Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)

This dancer is clearly wearing a

stitched kurti-styled garmentwith an asymmetrical

hemline.

The border of the center piece is

decorated by ikat.

Sleeves are decorated withbandhni

Dye used is possibly Indigo Vat

Dye majorly and madder red Minorly.

Isn’t this an amazing example of

fashion designing…?

Ikat center piece

Ikat center pieceBandhni sleeve

Kaftan

A kaftan is a loose top that is almost like a huge piece of fabric that is folded into 2 with a cutout for neckline and armhole.

Worn in different lengths, this serves as a top, a dress or a layering.

Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)

Woman is wearing a complete garment that covers her whole body.Its again striped, sectional warping. The beautiful and strong red of Indian Madder.But the garment appears stitched in a very simple way like a kaftan.

Modern

• Kaftan has become a very fashinable garment in this era.

• Its worn as a thigh length garment with leggings or trousers.

• Or it is worn as a ankle length dress

Cropped top for men

Quite different from the present era, its unusual to see cropped top on men.

Cropped top is essentially an upper garment that is till empire line or below-the-bust line.

Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)

While one person has a bust

length blouse like garment

which has a ribbon at the‘princess line’ and he andanother has a striped

lowergarment like a mini skirt

likegarment, again sectionalwarp.

Women’s blouses

Similar to the present day Indian ethnic wear,‘Saree Blouses’

Cropped top for women (?)

Sibi Jataka (Cave 17)

Present day blouse-like upper garment

Bias cut

Bias-cut is cutting the fabric diagonally, that is, 45-degree to both warp and weft.

Since the fabric is expandable in the bias, it is not as easy as stitching a straight fabric.

It requires skill and expertise to stitch a garment in bias.

But since it’s a bit stretchable in the bias, the garment drapes upon the body very well, though not as much as a knitted garment.

Simhala Avadana (Cave 17)

This person esp. has a very different garment, stitched from the

upper half with the fit of sleeve and neck line.

The lower half looks like it has a bunch of pleats like in the new saree draping style.

Or it might be they knew to stitch with gatherings – a new revelation.

Even if they had stitched with gatherings, it seems to originate from a diagonal seam – which means they could not only handle bias-cut fabric but do ornamentation with it as well.

Along with it he also has a fabric tied around his waist as a belt.

Modern

Quite a number of full length dresses are stitched with bias cut fabric.

Some skirts and tops are also stitched in bias for decorative purposes.

Drapes & knots

More often than not the garments were essentially draped than stitched.

The draped garments vary from simple knots of a single strip of fabric to

complex drapes of several yards of fabric.

The woman is wearing a draped garmentThe knotting of the garment is shown in the back of the woman in the back ground

Mara’s episode (Cave 1)

This is a beautiful draped garment in sheer white

fabric, with the sheerness very beautifully shown

including the folded fabric on the shoulder.

Bhikshu with lotus (Cave 2)

Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)

Block printIkat

BandhniDischarge

Black color

Salwar KameezBandhniIkatKhadi/dischargeFine muslinBlue & red Colours

Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)

Ceiling (Cave 2)

Knitting, Blue Color, Bleaching, Patch Work

Tushita heaven (Cave 17)

PatchworkHead gearsFringes/embroiderySectional warpingRed color

Thank you