A cultural weave
Threads on Threads: an exhibition on the textile heritage in Sri Lanka, South Asia and Europe” presented by the European Union (EU) Delegation in Sri Lanka and the Maldives together with the Threads of History Museum is now on at Colombo’s Barefoot Gallery.
Peek at the past: An interested audience at the exhibition opening. Pix by Eshan Fernando
The two-week exhibition – an initiative of the EU Cultural Heritage Series curated by Deshika Van Haght, features Somanas and Chintz textiles, their making and their trade. The word “chintz,” a pluralization of the Hindi word for “bright,” originally signified a type of calico, a cotton fabric, that was produced in India between 1600 and 1800 and had been woodblock printed, painted or stained. Somanas was a type of garment with several versions worn for different occasions, the social status of the wearer indicated by the type and design of the somanas.
The history of these fabrics can be traced back 6,000 years, to the time when artisans in India developed inventive methods to apply vivid colours to cotton by utilizing challenging chemical formulas. Characterised by trailing patterns of flower roundels and borders ornamented with flowers, the fabric is also adorned with intricately drawn motifs of lush greenery, enhanced with unique shades and colour schemes.
The exhibition also showcases how this coveted cloth was responsible for connecting cultures through the centuries of global trade shaped by the export of these textiles between Sri Lanka, South Asia and Europe.
EU ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Denis Chaibi, said at the opening of the exhibition “Cultural heritage can be an important vector for peace, reconciliation, mutual understanding, intercultural dialogue and sustainable development. I am therefore happy to open the ‘Threads on Threads’ exhibition that showcases Sri Lanka’s rich heritage and its linkages with Europe.”
Exhibits of 19th and 20th century fabrics made in Sri Lanka and India as well as European cotton textiles made for the Sri Lankan market, and text and high-resolution image panels give visitors an experience of the history of Lanka’s textile heritage
This cultural heritage is not limited to the preservation and collection of costumes and other textiles in museums. It also includes living traditions inherited from past generations. The exhibition is to be followed by an international conference co-organized by the Lanka Decorative Arts Society and Threads of History Museum later this year. Free to all, interested participants need to pre-register for this event where art historians, ethnologists, museum curators, and designers from Sri Lanka, South Asia and Europe will come together to share insights on the history of textiles, their preservation, links and influences, contemporary craftsmanship and the challenges of modern entrepreneurship.
‘Threads on Threads’ opened on July 9 and will continue until the 24th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.
For more information and updates on the upcoming international conference, visit www.facebook.com/EUDel.Srilanka.Maldives.
Searching for an ideal partner? Find your soul mate on Hitad.lk, Sri Lanka's favourite marriage proposals page. With Hitad.lk matrimonial advertisements you have access to thousands of ads from potential suitors who are looking for someone just like you.