Cultural Artefacts

It is a digital archive of objects of traditional textiles, costumes, accessories, furnishings, swatches and fragments from the Resource Centres of NIFT, various national and international museums, public and private organisations, and private collections. The section also displays designers collections to showcase applications of traditional skills and knowledge of textiles and crafts by contemporary designers. From the vintage exquisite brocades of Varanasi to multi shuttle woven Kanjeevaram saris; from the shawls of the Naga tribes to the nomadic embroidery of Kachchh; from the collections of the famous designers to decorative personal accessories and much more, the section aims to become an ever expanding repository of the tangible heritage and contemporary textile crafts of India.

Material samples encapsulate textile swatches: woven, embroidered, resist-dyed, painted, and printed fabrics. The samples serve as a good reference to study different materials and techniques of textile production and value addition.

Other cultural artefacts depict the diversity of techniques, material culture, and design repertoire that exists in Indian handicrafts. Indian artisans are skilled masters, handling indigenous materials to create decorative, utilitarian, and ritualistic artefacts that give meaning to everyday life in rural India and now find place in urban homes and are also exported to international markets.