Textile Society of America
Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings
Date of this Version
2024
Document Type
Presentation
Citation
Textile Society of America 2024 Symposium
Shifts & Strands: Rethinking the Possibilities and Potentials of Textiles, November 12-17, 2024, a virtual event
Abstract
The Veerabhadra Temple in Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh, India has some of the finest mural paintings created during the Vijayanagar Empire, one of South India’s most powerful dynasties in the 16th century. This paper will look at one of the frescoes depicting the costumes worn by the people during that time period. The artists generally recreate current trends and the world as they see around them. In Lepakshi, painters expressed a strong interest in depicting contemporary dresses, jewelry, hairdos, and so on, which mirrored not only the prevailing fashion trends of the time but also the socio-cultural fabric of the Vijayanagar Empire. This paper aims to explore the atmosphere of life, cultural traditions, and social dynamics inferred from the clothing worn by individuals and documented by foreign travelers during the 15th and 16th centuries. Emphasizing the depicted textiles in paintings, an analysis will be conducted to discern the commercial ties and multiculturalism they reflect. Moreover, socio-economic determinants influencing fashion trends will be scrutinized. Furthermore, the paper will delve into the convergence of diverse communities, cultural cross-pollination, and the liberal and cosmopolitan ethos prevalent during the 16th-century Vijayanagar era, as evidenced by the attire depicted in the aforementioned artwork.
Included in
Art and Materials Conservation Commons, Art Practice Commons, Fashion Design Commons, Fiber, Textile, and Weaving Arts Commons, Fine Arts Commons, Museum Studies Commons
Comments
Published by the Textiles Society of America
Copyright 2024, the author. Used by permission