Exhibition: Embroidered Tales and Woven Dreams

An exhibition of traditionally embroidered textiles found along the Silk Road, including examples of embroideries from the lands bordering the Indus, Afghanistan, Turcoman, Sogdiana and the Near East.

These hand-woven textiles, record the colours of natural dyes, stitches, patterns, motifs and the trade of woven cotton, wool and silk along the ancient trade routes.

For political and economic reasons it was from these regions, that the people and their textiles, travelled long distances, to move and settle in new areas. As it was in the tribal and semi-tribal societies that these embroideries flourished, they became a record of their history, social customs, folk tales and myths as hereditary wisdom and skills were passed down from mother to daughter in an attempt to guard their techniques and traditions in textiles.

This exhibition brings together several collections to display the high-level of sophistication with which these pieces were made.

The exhibition showcases examples of traditional local weaving and embroidery, as well as examples of the finer fabrics available from the ports of Cambay and the markets of Samarkand.