Blouse Front Panel Item Number: 1098/6 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Embroidered textile panel for a blouse front. The embroidery is worked on gray-green cotton textile, with predominantly red and purple/mauve geometric designs and mirrorwork. The designs are outlined in black and orange. The embroidery is underlined with bright pink block printed cotton gauze. A strip of bright green embroidered cotton textile (15.8 cm wide) is sewn to the lower edge; the colours of this strip, as well as the style of embroidery, are different from those used on the upper portion of the textile.
History Of Use
A textile that is embroidered in this manner is used to make a backless blouse, similar to 1098/4, 1098/5, 1098/7 and 1098/9. An embroidered blouse front like this one is called a “greban” in Threadlines Pakistan, but the term “gaj” is used in Colours of the Indus (see References). “Gaj” is also spelled “guj” in the literature. The hang tag that was attached to the textile at the time it was purchased in Pakistan calls it a “greban.”
Specific Techniques
satin stitch; buttonhole stitch; interlacing stitch; stem stitch
Narrative
This textile was purchased by William McLennan at Threadlines Gallery in Islamabad, Pakistan, in 1985 while he was on assignment for the Museum of Anthropology, which had a contract with the administration of Expo ‘86 to set up the Pakistan pavillion at the fair. The Museum purchased it, along with the other items in the 1098 accession, from McLennan in 1986.
Item History
- Made in Sindh, Pakistan before September 1985
- Collected by Bill McLennan during 1985
- Owned by Bill McLennan between September 1985 and January 30, 1986
- Received from Bill McLennan (Seller) and Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source) on January 30, 1986
What
- Name
- Blouse Front Panel
- Identification Number
- 1098/6
- Type of Item
- panel
- Material
- cotton fibre, silk fibre ?, rayon fibre ?, silver alloy metal, glass and dye
- Manufacturing Technique
- embroidered
- Overall
- height 77.0 cm, width 56.7 cm
Who
- Culture
- South Asian
- Field Collector
- Bill McLennan
- Previous Owner
- Bill McLennan
- Received from
- Bill McLennan (Seller) and Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Sindh, Pakistan
When
- Creation Date
- before September 1985
- Collection Date
- during 1985
- Ownership Date
- between September 1985 and January 30, 1986
- Acquisition Date
- on January 30, 1986
Other
- Item Classes
- textiles
- Condition
- fair
- Accession Number
- 1098/0006