Floral Canopy or Screen
17th - 18th Century
Cotton, gold leaf; plain weave, painted
195 x 197.5
cms
The flowering plants decorating this cotton hanging are applied in gold leaf glued to the surface of the textile. The fashion of decorating textiles with such plants developed at the Mughal court in the mid-seventeenth century, but spread throughout the courts of northern India in subsequent years. This piece has been attributed to Bikaner, a Rajasthani court where Mughal influence was very strong. Paintings show textiles like this, including the distinctive chevron border, employed as door or window screens, as well as being suspended as canopies.
