2-740-807 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Silk Ikat Wall Hanging (#333), third quarter of the 1800s. Eye-dazzling patterns with saturated colours demonstrating the ikat technique provided vibrant wall hangings for the reception rooms of the urban elite in Central Asia. In this splendid example comprising five loom widths, three lengths display popular amulet designs while the two inner lengths are precursors to the bold chevron designs of the late 19th century. The irregular contours—tell-tale indicators of ikat—are masterfully controlled with five rich colours. In the ikat technique, designs are dyed on the warp (vertical thread) in a resist-dye process before being woven. Thread is tightly wrapped around the warp to prevent dye penetration in each area of colour, beginning with the lightest shades to the darkest. This labor-intensive process produces vivid colours and fuzzy contours.