Textiles Of Rajasthan At The Jaipur Court

Rajasthan has long been famous as a centre of production of many different kinds of cloth, and for the skilled techniques of its crafts people. From woodblock printing and cotton embroidery to gota and zardozi, every type of cloth production and decoration is found in the region. Each is also well represented in the collection of the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum, in the City Palace in Jaipur, as the members of the court were always ardent patrons and supporters of local arts.

This is the fifth book in a new series of illustrated publications that was launched in 2014, with the intention of bringing the museum’s collections to the attention of a wider audience. Other volumes illustrate some of our finest examples of arms and armour, painting and photography, and textiles and garments. In this volume, Dr Vandana Bhandari, a noted expert in the field, focuses specially on textiles that were made locally. By showcasing and celebrating some of our best examples, we hope to raise awareness and interest and preserve the legacy of the magnificent textiles of Rajasthan.

Vandana Bhandari

During a journey of over three decades as an academician, Vandana Bhandari has worked as an educator, author, and administrator with an active social engagement in the fashion and textile sector. She has held the position of Dean of Academics at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), and is currently a professor there. Published in journals and magazines, she has authored and compiled several books on fashion and textiles including: Celebrating Dreams: Weddings in India (1998), Textiles and Crafts of India: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur (1998), Textiles and Jewellery of India – Traditions in Rajasthan (2004); Jewelled Textiles: Gold and Silver embellished Cloth of India (2014). Dr Bhandari is the Project Coordinator at NIFT of a national level project titled ‘USTTAD’, which has a collaborative approach for sustaining livelihoods and craft heritage and creates valuable connections between designers and master artisans.