Patolu
18th/19th century
Medium
Silk, gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk or bast fiber, strips of plain weave and stripes of warp and weft resist dyed (double ikat), plain weave with gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk or bast fiber brocading wefts; main warp fringe
Dimensions
407.6 × 102.9 cm (160 1/4 × 40 1/2 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
180287
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Patola are finely woven silk textiles made in Gujarat, India. They became highly valued imports in Indonesia, where merchants gave them to local rajas (rulers) to curry favor for trade. As a result, they came to be prized by their owners as heirlooms denoting high status. Artists create the designs using a double-ikat technique, dyeing the threads prior to weaving.
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...