Bag Item Number: Eg65 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Fine hand-woven cotton bag with hand straps. White with wide bands of red woven in and a small chain-like embroidered stitch in blue on each side of red band. Bands alternate with three embroidered motifs, in green, blue, and red. Similar design in green and black on handles. Lined with mill cloth; machine sewn on the two sides. Opening bound with black weave.

History Of Use

The Toda are among the best known tribal people of India. Their traditional polyandrous form of marriage system has been studied in anthropological literature. The Toda are herders living in the pasture lands of the Nilgiri Hills and are associated with the sacred buffalo. Famous for the quality of their embroidery - particularly with respect to the magnificent shawls which were an essential part of traditional Toda dress - weaving and embroidery are in the women's domain. Toda women have recently become involved in weaving and embroidery co-operatives in an effort to maintain the tradition and to market their goods. The embroidery once used to grace shawls is now adapted to other kinds of uses, primarily for sale to an outside market. The bag is an example of embroidery in a non-traditional object.

Cultural Context

tourist art

Item History

What

Name
Bag
Identification Number
Eg65
Type of Item
bag
Material
cotton fibre and dye
Manufacturing Technique
woven, embroidered and machine sewn
Overall
height 46.0 cm, width 36.3 cm

Who

Culture
Toda
Previous Owner
Stephen Inglis
Received from
Museum of Anthropology Donations Fund (Funding source) and Stephen Inglis (Seller)

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
Tamil Nadu, India

When

Collection Date
during 1977
Ownership Date
before December 2, 1977
Acquisition Date
on December 2, 1977

Other

Item Classes
textiles
Condition
good
Current Location
Case 103
Accession Number
0411/0148