INDIA, POSSIBLY FOR THE IRANIAN OR ARMENIAN MARKET, LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY

A block-printed piece with similar design of architectural niche is published in Ruth Barnes, Steven Cohen and Rosemary Crill, Trade, Temple & Court, Indian Textiles, from the Tapi Collection, Mumbai, 2002, cat.36, pp.86-87. It is attributed to Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh and was probably made for the Iranian market in the mid-19th century. In the discussion to that piece, it is noted that these kalamkari textiles were used as prayer mats and door-curtains by the local Muslim community. They were also massively exported to Iran from the 18th to the early 20th century and it is often difficult to say whether they were produced in India or in Tehran, Iran.