In my research I have found a couple of extent examples of ceremonial clothes that feature additional borders along the hemline of the cloths. Admittedly there aren't many and the period manuscript illustrations are very stylised in the first instance and the details are generalised so there is a fair bit of guess work on my part going on in this area.
Besides the motifs seen in the field of the fabrics, the illustrations only indicate seriously decorative sections in the front area of the dhotis. Border embellishment for men seems to be reserved for the ends of the chaddars. What edging I have found seems limited and the motifs are impressionistic.
The 13thC repeat motif-border which is along both the width edge and the hemline of the cloth is simple, very stylised and sophisticated.
Seeing the video on UTube about the extensive Khajuarho temple complex, I tracked down a better quality pic on Wikipedia and from there developed this rough. Am working on a measure of 23cm wide and a depth of 16.4cm -- quite within the variety of sizes one finds for a block printed area on these clothes from the 13thC through to the late 16thC. At this stage I have omitted the decorative details such as the howdah, mahout, carpet or blanket on the elephant's back, the ropes securing the howdah and the bells and chains usually depicted embellishing elephants in Indian textile art.
These I shall probably add later once I am certain that I like the idea and design sufficiently to go ahead with it. While I brood on whether I like the motif here and how it'll be translated for use on the yellow dhoti -- viz will this appear only along the hemline or will I swivel the fabric and include them on the pallu area, I am trying to decide if I prefer them a solid colour which is historically accurate, outlined -- edging towards very late period as my research seems to indicate or reversed out of a coloured border. My instinct is to go with red stamped elephants within a black and yellow border. However I rather like the concept of black elephants strolling along the border from left to right against a red ground.
Serious consideration is being given to actually working this in lino and printing it from that. While I'm confident that I can do some light carving, the stamping part is going to take some considerable effort on my part. That means pain.
Be that as it may, I am quite taken with the Khajuarho elephant.
Besides the motifs seen in the field of the fabrics, the illustrations only indicate seriously decorative sections in the front area of the dhotis. Border embellishment for men seems to be reserved for the ends of the chaddars. What edging I have found seems limited and the motifs are impressionistic.
The 13thC repeat motif-border which is along both the width edge and the hemline of the cloth is simple, very stylised and sophisticated.
Seeing the video on UTube about the extensive Khajuarho temple complex, I tracked down a better quality pic on Wikipedia and from there developed this rough. Am working on a measure of 23cm wide and a depth of 16.4cm -- quite within the variety of sizes one finds for a block printed area on these clothes from the 13thC through to the late 16thC. At this stage I have omitted the decorative details such as the howdah, mahout, carpet or blanket on the elephant's back, the ropes securing the howdah and the bells and chains usually depicted embellishing elephants in Indian textile art.
These I shall probably add later once I am certain that I like the idea and design sufficiently to go ahead with it. While I brood on whether I like the motif here and how it'll be translated for use on the yellow dhoti -- viz will this appear only along the hemline or will I swivel the fabric and include them on the pallu area, I am trying to decide if I prefer them a solid colour which is historically accurate, outlined -- edging towards very late period as my research seems to indicate or reversed out of a coloured border. My instinct is to go with red stamped elephants within a black and yellow border. However I rather like the concept of black elephants strolling along the border from left to right against a red ground.
Serious consideration is being given to actually working this in lino and printing it from that. While I'm confident that I can do some light carving, the stamping part is going to take some considerable effort on my part. That means pain.
Be that as it may, I am quite taken with the Khajuarho elephant.
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