Silk Brocades

Textiles have been produced by almost every advanced culture over the centuries - the Hellenic Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Achaemidian, Sassanian, Assyrian, Chinese, and Indian. But, they have hardly been the focus of serious study.

Silk Brocades promises to remedy that. Rummaging through the cupboard of Indian history, it finds patterns that have persisted through three to four thousand years, textiles imbued with religious symbols, silk-weaving centres which were the incubators of the tradition, and royal workshops that created the finest brocades. The narrative shows how Indian silk brocades grew to become world famous. Richly textured visuals accompany the words throughout, greatly adding to the understanding and appeal of the subject.

About the Author:

Ms Yashodhara Agarwal was born in a well-known aristocratic family of Varanasi. Her great-grandfather, the late Jagannath Das Ratnakar, was a famous poet in the Brajbhasha. Her father, the late Ramkrishna, was a scholar in his own right. Mrs Agrawal was educated in Varanasi, Banaras Hindu University being her alma mater. She studied Museology and obtained an M.A. in the History of Arts and was awarded the University medal. In September 2001, she received her Ph.D. A recipient of the British Council Visitor Fellowship, the Greek Government Fellowship, and the Indo-French Exchange Programme fellowship, she has travelled widely and visited museums in the UK, France, Austria, Italy, the Vatican City, Greece, and Germany. Presently she is the charge of the Textile & Decorative Art section in Bharat Kala Bhavan, a museum of Indian art in Banaras Hindu University. She has a number of publications to her credit.