Preserved Legacies – Garments from India’s Past

A walk through a museum gallery filled with Indian textiles feels like entering a time capsule. These pieces were gilded by hands we’ll never know, but whose craftsmanship must survive. The ancient textiles tell a story, a wearable artwork that has crossed time to arrive in the present. These garments are unlike anything we see today. They were made to last. Every textile holds its own technique and its own purpose. They were definitely not mass-produced or endlessly repeated in warehouses. What remains preserved in museums or private collections is the future of what we choose to remember.

Floral Tent Panel

This textile, dating to around 1635 and believed to have been made in India, is crafted from silk, gold, cut velvet, and decorative painting. It was once part of a royal tent, richly made with floral patterns framed by arched niches, likely used in royal encampments or outdoor court gatherings. The mix of velvet, silk, and gold decoration shows its high status and how textiles extended beyond clothing in architectural and ceremonial spaces. Its survival allows us to see how textiles created luxurious environments in historical India, and since very few remain intact, this panel is a particularly valuable piece from the 17th century.

(Image credit: The MET- Floral Tent Panel, ca. 1635. Purchase, Bequest of Helen W. D. Mileham, by exchange, Wendy Findlay Gift, and funds from various donors, 1981)

Kalamkari Rumal

Made around 1640 to 1650 in the Golconda region of the Deccan, this cotton textile uses plain weaving and resist dyeing techniques. The rumal shows scenes of music, dance, love, and hunting set among plant motifs. The fine detail and storytelling in this piece reveal remarkable skill. It shows the lively culture of its time, standing as a rare example of early narrative textiles from India.

(Image credit: The MET - Kalamkari Rumal Cover, 1640-50. Rogers Fund, 1928)

Baluchari Saree Panel

Originating in Bengal and reaching its most recognized form in the 18th century, the Baluchari saree is a silk textile known for its woven panels that portray myths and daily life. Rather than using simple decorative patterns, these sarees tell stories through their imagery, showing courtly life and other tales. The craft was passed down through generations of weavers using looms and jacquard systems. Though it declined during colonial rule, it has since been revived, and its Geographical Indication status today honours its legacy.

(Image credit: Baluchar sari, about 1855, Bahadarpur, India, red silk with patterning in yellow, white and black. Museum no. 6102(IS). Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

Sankalan Embroidery Design Panel

The Sankalan design represents intricate embroidery once used in garments and decorative textile panels across India. Although not many surviving pieces carry this specific name, the style is an important part of India’s embroidery tradition. The work features closely packed motifs of flowers, animals, and geometric patterns. Such panels were used in clothing, wall hangings, and furnishings, showing the richness of India’s historic textile art.

(Image credit: Skirt length, about 1850, Kutch, India, satin-woven silk, embroidered in chain stitch with silk thread. Museum no. 791A-1852. Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

These garments show how textiles in India served many roles, including as a storytelling medium. Their survival in museum collections or through heritage revival gives us a tangible link to the past and continues to inspire contemporary craft and design.

Today, in a world of fast fashion and carbon copies, these preserved Indian garments remind us what it means to create something that lasts. Look at these garments, they hold so much life and skills within them. They are a call to slow down and think about what we are making today that will still matter centuries from now.