16th Century Deccani Sari Draping Class

16th Century Deccani Sari Draping Class
LadyNeefabintDurrofthekingdomofAethelmearc
e-mail:scarletbess@gmail.com
Thewordsarimeans"stripofcloth"inSanskrit.Inmoderntermswedefine"sari"tomeana
wrappedlengthofclothprimarilycoveringthelowerhalfofawoman'sbody.Scholarsbelievethat
therootsofthesareeextendintotheBCperiodoftheIndiasubcontinent.MedievalIndianart
depictsnumerouswrappedgarmentsforbothmenandwomen.Periodtextsdescribedraped
garmentsaswell.Thisclasswillfocusonthewrappedgarment(sari)oftheDeccanareafromthe
secondhalfofthe16thCentury(1550-1600);specificallyfocusingonhowtowrapafacsimileof
thesesarees.
Deccan
TheDeccaniareaisalargeplateaumakingupthesouthern1/3oftheIndiansubcontinent.
TheDeccansultanateswerefivedynastiesofvariousethnicbackgrounds(Afghan,Turk,Mongol,
etc.)consistingofBijapur,Golkonda,Ahmadnagar,Bidar,andBerar.Theywererivalkingdoms,
butsometimestheywouldformalliances(1565)towarwiththeVijayanagaraEmpire(alsocalled
theKarnataEmpire)whoruledthesoutherntipareaofIndia.TheywereMuslimkingdoms,but
werenotpartoftheMughalEmpireduringthisperiod.Theyhadarichartisticheritage,including
arguablydresstraditionsthatweretheirown,maintainingandblendingtheirheritage
backgrounds.
21stCenturyterms:
• saree,sari-5to9yards
• choli/sareeblouse
• petticoat/lehenga
• fall
• pallu
GuessesaboutDeccanisarees
• 7to9yards
• cotton,silk,and/ormix
• decorativetreatments-embroidery,block
printing,handpainting-includinggoldleaf,ikat,
brocade,tapestryweave.(LadyMeenakshida
Gama)
• smalltonoborders
• smalltonopallu
• possiblemotherofthemodernNiviwrap,
originallyworninAndhraPradesh
• jewelryandappropriatecholineededto
completetheproperlook
Shahji is United with His Beloved Mahji.
1590 Deccan. Indian Paintings in the
British Library, pg. 17. Helpfulresources:
Video-howtotieasari-AyeshaPatel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN17CQQMrt8
Basicoverviewofwhatasariis:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sari
I'dliketocallit"QuickoverviewofthemodernNiviwrap".
So,Whatisaperiodsarianyway?byTheHonorableLadyMeenakshidaGama,BaronyofCaer
Galen,KingdomoftheOutlands.
http://dakinidesigns.net/1000petals/BlueAvatar/bharatanatyam/Resources/Margarets_sari_paper.pdf
Saris:AnIllustratedGuidetotheIndianArtofDraping,Boulanger,Chantal:NewYork,ShaktiPress
International
Ifyou'dliketolearnmoreorjustwanttobeinthecompanyofotherlike-mindedpeoplewholiketotalk
aboutthisandotherthingsrelatedtohistoricIndia,whynottrytheSCAIndiagrouponFacebook.
The queen touching a tree and making in bloom, Ahmadnagar 1565, Painting of the Deccan, XVI-XVII,
pg. 7