Ahmedabad: The global fashion industry has been greatly influenced by Gujarat's textile heritage, which has left an indelible mark across different regions, particularly in Southeast Asia. The state's enterprising merchants served as vital trade intermediaries, transporting precious fabrics including silk patolas and cotton textiles featuring the distinctive Hamsa (goose) design, a motif that also appears prominently in the ancient Ajanta Cave paintings. These rare treasures find a place of honour in the renowned TAPI Collection , an exquisite private repository by Surat-based collectors Shilpa and Praful Shah.
Over 70 works from this collection are now showcased in the exhibition "When Indian Flowers Bloomed in Distant Lands" at Ahmedabad's Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum. The collection offers a visual narrative of India's textile legacy, spanning 700 years from the 13th to the 20th century. Each piece weaves a story of cultural exchange, craftsmanship, and Gujarat and India's profound impact on global fashion.
Gujarat's double-ikat silk patolas were among the most sought-after luxury items in Southeast Asia. Crafted with a meticulous process involving dyeing both warp and weft threads before weaving, these sacred textiles were imbued with talismanic powers and reserved for royalty. "For the Indonesian royals, patolas were made with tiger and elephant motifs, blending both an Indian and Indonesian touch in motifs and were also used as ceremonial cloths.
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