Weaving the strands of our textile heritage

• Threads on Threads exhibition explores the interconnectedness between SL, India, and Europe

The EU delegation in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, together with the Threads of History Museum, is currently hosting “Threads on Threads: An exhibition on the textile heritage in Sri Lanka, South Asia, and Europe”. The two-week exhibition is an initiative of the EU Cultural Heritage Series.

Curated by Deshika Van Haght, the exhibition currently underway at Barefoot Gallery, with free entrance, primarily features somanas and chintz textiles, their making, and their trade.

Brunch reached out to Van Haght to learn more about the exhibition and the purpose behind it. The exhibition was intended to show the interconnection between South Asia and Europe, according to Van Haght.

During the exhibition, Van Haght noted that visitors can experience the history of modern day Sri Lanka’s textile heritage, through exhibits consisting of 19th and 20th Century fabrics made in Sri Lanka and India, as well as European cotton textiles made for the Sri Lankan market, as well as text and high-resolution image panels.

Sharing some insight into the historical aspect of the exhibition, she informed us that the word chintz originates from the Hindi word “chint” or “chitta”, meaning spotted or variegated. Historically, chintz referred to plain weave, calico cotton that was hand-printed, mordant- and resist-dyed in brilliant, gaudy, and vibrant patterns of exotic birds, wildlife, and flowers on neutral, light backgrounds.

“The first trade of these textiles happened between the Coromandel Coast in India, and Europe,” Van Haght said, adding that after a certain period of time the trade and wear of this textile was completely banned in Europe. The import of chintz became a serious concern to the European textile mills who were unable to reproduce the complex dying methods.

“Chintz threatened the local wool and silk industries of England, and to counter this, France and then England made the import and then the use of chintz illegal in the late 17th and early 18th centuries,” Van Haght explained, revealing that in France, women who wore chintz faced severe penalties, even death.

Once this ban was set in place, Europe began creating their own version of it, first by importing the cotton, and later by weaving. “After this, they exported it to American colonies in Africa, and Latin America,” she explained. Much later, during the 20th Century, when the cost of labour was soaring, India took the opportunity to begin producing cotton again.

The difference here, according to Van Haght, was that in Europe, they used Intaglio presses – which is a printmaking technique in which the image is incised into a surface and the incised line or sunken area holds the ink – but in the Coast of Coromandel, it was all handmade. 

“Due to the lengthy nature of the traditional process, the finished fabric was expensive. As the demand in Europe continued, it is not surprising that soon people began to look for cheaper ways to make chintz,” she observed. At the time, since Europeans lacked the skills to hand-paint the fabric, they used wooden printing blocks instead. By 1750, companies in Switzerland, France, and England were leading the cotton printing industry in Europe, producing woodblock printed chintz that approximated, although they did not match, the quality of the Indian hand-painted originals.

Later on, Van Haght told us, chintz also came to refer to the industrially printed textiles produced in England, as well as floral printed ceramics and wallpaper.

“The Dutch VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie) had a small workshop in Jaffna where they used famine-stricken refugees brought in from India to work on the dyes,” Van Haght explained. Additionally, they also harvested chai root, which was growing in abundance in Jaffna, in order to create natural red dye. The laborious craft of chintz requires the fabric to undergo 17 meticulous steps. 

From a young age, the children of master craftsmen apprenticed to learn a single, specialised function and become a skilled artisan. From making the block to treating the cloth to printing and washing, approximately eight to 10 craftsmen are involved in creating each yard. Once slavery through indentured servitude – an institution that existed as a consequence of unpaid debt – was abolished, the factory had to close down.

The textiles showcased are part of both the tangible and intangible heritage of Sri Lanka. Indeed, the cultural heritage of textiles does not end with the preservation and collection of costumes and other textiles in museums. With the red dye prominently shining through in all the designs, the textiles feature living traditions inherited from past generations.

The exhibition showcases the longstanding trade relationship between Sri Lanka, South Asia, and Europe. Speaking on her vision for the exhibition, Van Haght told us that she wants to depict the interconnection between these places, and bring this history back into modern conversation.

EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Denis Chaibi, speaking at the opening of the exhibition, also noted that cultural heritage can be an important vector for peace, reconciliation, mutual understanding, intercultural dialogue, and sustainable development. “I am therefore happy to open the Threads on Threads exhibition that showcases Sri Lanka’s rich heritage and its linkages with Europe,” he stated.

Threads on Thread will be held until 24 July, showcased at Barefoot Gallery from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., so if you’re in the area, drop by to learn more about the long and colourful history of this textile industry.