Ralli Quilts and Kanthas from Pakistan and India
Saturday, July 25th, 2009
Textile marked “made in India – 100% cotton”
Last week, I purchased an antique textile from India. It is heavily appliquéd in mostly colors that are not vibrant, but tend toward gray and beige. Elephants and camels are heavily represented, an indication that this piece is not Islamic made. According to one source, “living beings are not usually represented in Islamic Art.”
More than likely, this is a ralli quilt. The name “ralli” is thought to be derivative of the word, “ralannu,” a verb that means to mix, to join, or to connect. A number of name variations for “ralli” exist, and ralli quilts are made in Rajasthan. As is typical of rallis, patchwork (a sawtooth appliqué design) adorns the edge of the piece I bought, and there is embroidery on the back that the maker has made no attempt to hide or disguise. Some of the fabric is Indigo-dyed.
In the book, Ralli Quilts: Traditional Textiles from Pakistan and India by Patricia Ormsby Stoddard, page 63 shows a woman in Mirpurkhas who has cut out multiple elephant pieces to appliqué onto a ralli made for commerce. Seeing the elephant appliqués has convinced me that I have a ralli quilt. The tag on the back simply says, “100% cotton, made in India.” It was clearly made for the trade.
Ralli quilts are created in both large and small cities, including places in Sindh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. I have a file about textiles from Pakistan and India on our website.
The International Quilt Study Center will exhibit thirty textiles in a display titled “South Asian Seams: Quilts from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh,” from May through November 2010. The curator of the exhibit is the aforementioned book author. Workshops will be held in conjunction with this exhibit. Check www.quiltstudy.org for more details, as they become available.
I am sure this exhibit will be welcome, as before Stoddard’s book, not a lot has been written on this subject for the general public. For more online information, visit: www.ralliquilt.com
Patricia Lynne Grace Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications