"Hefalumps as far as the eye can see!"

I've managed at last to rough out some developmental sketches for the elephants to be used on the yellow dhoti.

The base concept are the elephants in the carving on the Temple complex at Khajuarho dating from the 9th and 11th Centuries. Spinning off from there is the textile embellishment and motif treatment from the 15thC Gujarati trade fabric. However, for my purposes and tastes I would prefer a much simpler rendition printed on the dhoti.

The second version is an adaptation of the fabric example and I have omitted the howdah, back cloth and the saddle/cradle upon which the howdah would rest.

(I also need to finish plotting out the oval "nails" on the feet of the beast.) I have further decided to make the elephant's tail more obvious should I opt for the second translation. Probably, the horizontal representation as in the first picture just because it reads more easily. I also prefer the up swinging trunk.

Colour wise I am still uncertain and oddly vacillating between red on the yellow fabric ground against a black where the blue dye is on the original. And black elephants against red on yellow. Perhaps once I see how multiple red motifs read stamped against the fabric I will find the decision easier to make.

**Reproduced from the TAPI Collection. Copyright: TAPI Collection, Surat India. Heirloom textile (maa'): Produced in Gujarat 15thC. Cotton block-printed, resist and mordant dyed. Warp 325cm, weft 69cm; thread count 16/16; twist Z/Z. TAPI 01.161