“She sells us more than she buys from us.”
Reads a line from the first page of John Forbes Watson’s The Textile Manufactures of India.
Published in 1866 by the India Office, the 18 volume compendium proves that the pen is indeed mightier than the sword.
An in-depth research into Indian costumes and caste system combined with a brutal, goose bump inducing economic strategy led to the proverbial ‘beginning of the end’ of the handcrafted textile sector .
The decline that was triggered by this compendium has not stopped ever since although the efforts to reverse it have been made sporadically through policies and schemes.
The 18 volumes are a treasure house though- whether it is for the brilliant textile swatches ( cut from 700 textiles) or the incisive analysis of aesthetics and consumption patterns of Indians.
The Asiatic Society is proud to present a curated display of the volumes ( of which they possess a complete set), textiles based on the samples in the compendium and portrait photographs that help us understand the impact a little better.
Join us at the
Durbar Hall, The Asiatic Society of Mumbai
from 5th to 8th July, 2023
Timings:- 10:30 to 6:30pm
for guided walkthroughs and lectures on the importance & impact of the books, archival documentation and preserving these archives.
Timings for walkthroughs:- 11am, 1 pm and 3 pm.
Curator:- Savitha Suri