Indian Painted/Dyed Cloth for Thai Royalty
1774-1799
Scroll
Indian Painted/Dyed Cloth for Thai Royalty
1774-1799
Physical Qualities
Cotton, 36 1/2 × 142 1/2 in. (92.7 × 362 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Amy Gould and Matthew Polk, Gibson Island, Maryland
Object Number
2016.234
A long rectangular plain-woven cotton cloth mordant -resist dyed and painted, possibly intended for use as a throne cover. The center field of white or natural colored ground is decorated with a polychrome lattice of foliate/floral motifs in reds, greens, and brownish-purples. Within the squares or diamonds formed by the lattice are purplish-ground roundels ornamented with polychrome floral wreaths. Quatrefoil designs of similar color scheme, but much smaller, are found at each intersection of the diagonals (interstices of the lattice members). Numerous borders of various widths and designs with red, green pencilled in blue?), gold, or dark purplish-brown grounds and elaborate polychrome designs are found on three sides of the textile, the end borders having more, wider, and more elaborate borders than the side. No border is present on one long cut side.
One long side has a delicate red cord attached with whip stitches to what appears to be the selvaged edge which is folded under approximately 1/8". The other side appears to be a selvage edge and is turned under for a hem approximately 1/8" under and sewn with running stitches. The short side is turned under approximately 1/16" under and sewn with whip stitches
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 2016; Matthew Polk and Amy Gould by purchase, c. 1997 ex. col. Jim Burns and David Paly, Seattle; by purchase; Thomas Murray by purchase1994 from Cheng's Antique Gallery, in the River City Complex, Bangkok.; ex. col of elder Cheng, by purchase c. 1945 from uncle of the recently deceased king of Thailand.
