woman's headcloth (odhani)

woman's headcloth (odhani) , 1800s

Where object was made: Kutch, Gujarat, India

Material/technique: silk; mica; embroidering; chain stitch

Credit line: William Bridges Thayer Memorial

Accession number: 1928.0854

Not on display

Add to portfolio

If you wish to reproduce this image, please submit an image request

Images

Label texts

Exhibition Label:
“Flowers, Dragons and Pine Trees: Asian Textiles in the Spencer Museum of Art,” Nov-2005, Mary Dusenbury
This odhani was probably a wedding veil. It would have been worn with the medallion centered on the bride’s head, hiding her from view until after the ceremonies were completed. The exquisite workmanship and luxurious materials suggest the work of a professional craftsman.
The medallion represents a stylized eight-petalled lotus flower, a symbol of the beloved goddess Lakshmi, consort of the Hindu creator god Vishnu.