Silver and Shawls: India, Europe, and the Colonial Art Market

This exhibition of over 40 objects highlights the evolution of shawls and silver table wares produced in India during the colonial period, mainly in the 18th and 19th centuries. That era witnessed the greatest expansion of the international market for Indian textiles and other luxury goods. The exhibition focuses on two opposing stylistic developments: shawl design evolved from traditional Indian compositions and decoration to patterns that responded to European tastes, while Indian silver production grew from small studios of foreign artisans producing restrained, Georgian-style objects into a large industry employing local artists and incorporating imagery native to South Asia.

A brochure accompanies the exhibition.

Organized by Kimberly Masteller, Assistant Curator, Islamic and Later Indian Art, Arthur M. Sackler Museum; and Jeffrey B. Spurr, Islamic and Middle East Specialist, Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, Fine Arts Library, Harvard University.

This exhibition has been funded by Melvin R. Seiden, the Eric Schroeder Fund, and the Arthur Urbane Dilley 1897 and Theron Johnson Damon 1905 Fund for Islamic Art and Culture.