From the 2nd of July to the 11th of October, history, culture and creativity will come together at the
Art Gallery of New South Wales, as it exhibits the
Silk Ikats of Central Asia.
These resplendent, exotic robes, which hail mainly from
Uzbekistan, are a product of the late 19th century. Due to the complicated dyeing and weaving involved in their
manufacture, they were regarded as status symbols, and endowed with considerable social and political currency.
As the
website explains, ikats were:
“used as payment for services rendered, as dowry and bride price, in diplomatic exchanges and as gifts to monarchs. Great pride was taken in the aesthetic quality and bold originality of the designs…that came to symbolise the exoticism of the Islamic world.”
These photos illustrate just how striking ikats are, and how difficult they are to make:
Ikat robe
Richly coloured silk
Weaving an ikat
Fancy footwork
A world removed
The centre of Uzbekistan’s ikat industry was the historic city of
Bukhara. There, the weavers, dyers and designers would take their strands of silk and cotton and painstakingly create something that was as much an artwork as it was a garment. The gorgeous colours were all naturally sourced- yellow from saffron, black from pomegranate skin, indigo from the indigo plant and red from crushed cochineal insects. Ikats were owned by both the sexes, although women could only wear theirs inside.
As part of the exhibition, the Art Gallery is holding a series of mid-week
talks, on the 22nd and 29th of July, and the 5th and 12th of August. Given that the speakers are experts in their fields, they should be able to provide some fascinating insights into the ikats on display.
For further information, click on the links below:
Ticketing
Getting there
Opening hours
