Sash

ca. 1628–58

Not on view

Men’s sashes, called patkas, were wrapped two or three times around the wearer’s waist and tied with their ends hanging down in the front. Worn over jamas, the long robes typical of Mughal India, they allowed men to display their wealth by tucking daggers, pen cases, and other precious objects into the fabric. After being exported to Europe in the colonial period, a modified version of the patka became part of tuxedo sets, taking its name from the Hindustani and Persian term kamarband, which means ‘waist bound up’. Individual stitches running the length of this patka create pleating in the fabric, indicating that it was worn folded over with the ends splayed out.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Sash
Date: ca. 1628–58
Geography: Attributed to India
Medium: Cotton; resist and mordant dyed, and painted
Dimensions: L. 113 in. (287 cm)
W. 12 1/2 in. (59. 7 cm)
Classification: Textiles-Costumes
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1928
Object Number: 28.159.4
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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