An exhibition of Indian textiles at the Abegg-Stiftung in Switzerland not only shows the beauty of the fabric produced during the Mughal period (1526-1858) but also explores their uses and the motifs used in the designs that have now become so popular around the world. It is a rare opportunity to explore Indian textiles from across several centuries, to delight in their colourful patterns, and to admire the technical mastery of their weaving.
At the height of its power in the late 17th century, the empire founded by the Muslim Mughal dynasty comprised almost the entire Indian Subcontinent as well as parts of what are now Pakistan and Afghanistan. To the Western world, it was an exotic realm of fairy tales, of unimaginable riches. It was a land where the arts flourished and sciences were actively promoted.
Whereas buildings stand the tests of time and can endure for centuries, textiles tend to have a much shorter lifespan and rot, are repurposed, or discarded. Made of organic fibres such as silk, cotton, linen, and wool, they are highly sensitive to both light and fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Mughal silks are especially rare – one reason being India’s tropical monsoon climate; another is that patterned silks, unlike cotton fabrics, were generally not traded internationally and stayed in India. These highly valued textiles were mainly made for the court and not exported – produced in royal workshops to supply a noble clientele. Textiles that did travel to other parts of the world mainly did so as diplomatic or ambassadorial gifts to foreign rulers. It was not until the 19th and 20th centuries that these luxurious textiles were sold on the open market and acquired by collectors and museums. This makes the Abegg-Stiftung’s small but fine collection of textiles such an important collection.
The colourful fabrics patterned with figural and floral designs from the collection are now on show for the first time. Flowers probably comprise the most well-known and admired motifs in Mughal decorative arts. While the Mughal court was influenced by the ‘garden of paradise’ from traditional Muslim teachings, it also brought an admiration for the natural world, the important role of gardens in daily life, and an appreciation of gently flowing water in the meticulously designed gardens, At court, gardens were seen as a physical link to ‘the garden in Paradise’ filled with wondrous plants, fruits, and trees.
Many Mughal emperors took delight and interest in all types of flora as part of their overall interest in the natural world. However, despite the acquired knowledge of flowers from Central Asia and north India, the designers responsible for weaving these natural themes into their textiles were not always concerned with botanical accuracy; rather, emphasis was put on the overall design of the pattern and the balance of the composition. Often these flowers are arranged in rows to adorn velvet cushions, brocade hangings, and printed cotton patkas (waist sashes). Another motif linked to the natural world was the boteh, which is used in lines to serve as a border on sashes, shawls, and other textiles. These designs were seen in all areas of life, from jewellery to garments, personal accessories, and carpets as well other textiles used in interior decoration.
The first figurative patterns started to become widespread during the Sultanate period (1206-1526), when Islamic cultures began to influence Indian art and design. Animals and birds are also favourite design motifs in Mughal textiles. Design inspiration did not just come from the Islamic world, as the vast array of mythical and real animals in Hindu mythology, literature, and art was also incorporated. This pool of inspiration also extended to such living creatures as tigers, elephants, peacocks, and parrots. Emperor Jahangir (1569-1627) was known for his interest in the natural world and commissioned scientifically accurate botanical and zoological miniatures, as well as keeping a menagerie of exotic animals.
A good example of the sumptuousness of Mughal textiles in the exhibition is a multi-coloured velvet patterned with a figural scene. Its symmetrical composition shows a lady standing next to a cypress tree, framed by blossoming branches. Finely dressed, she is savouring the scent of a flower and has elegantly turned her head to one side so that her face appears in profile. The young cheetah at her feet is leaping up to her. It is not just the scene itself but also the materials and techniques that tell of the courtly context of this work and mark it out as a luxury fabric par excellence.
The ground of this textile is covered in gold threads, and viewers who look carefully will see that the lady’s jewellery is formed by loops of brocaded silver threads. No fewer than eight different colours are to be found in the velvet pile. Magnificent velvets such as these were woven under the influence of Iranian weavers who had settled in India. When they migrated to India, they brought with them both Persian stylistic elements and such technical innovations as the art of exchanging pile warp threads during the weaving process. This enabled the weavers to produce a pile with a much greater variety of colours than could be obtained by conventional velvet weaving. At the time, this technique was unknown in Europe, and exactly how the Iranian and Indian weavers accomplished it remains a mystery even today.
A miniature in the exhibition, painted on paper, depicts how a palace interior would have looked. It shows Krishna and his companion seated on a floral carpet with a chevron border. They are reclining on bolsters, some of which have decorative covers, and suspended over the doorway in the background, is a rolled-up curtain made of a patterned fabric, while draped over the balustrade is a red velvet with a green border and silver fringe.
This shows how textiles were also important to the splendour of outdoor events, where they served to distinguish the ruler from other members of the court. This can also be seen in another fine miniature dating from around 1600. Here, Emperor Akbar (r 1556-1605) is on a hunting expedition where he is enthroned beneath a canopy whose inside is lined with a patterned fabric, while unfurled at his feet is an exquisite carpet. Miniatures are an important source for textile historians, as these meticulously detailed miniature paintings not only bring a scene to life but often accurately record the fashions, textiles, and jewellery of the period. Originally compiled into albums, these illustrated texts also often recount historical events from the lives of the Mughal emperors or portray scenes from the epics of Indian mythology and literature.
Indian attire of the Mughal period typically included accessories such as sashes and shawls made of lavishly patterned silk fabrics. This exhibition features two examples of these forms of textiles dating from the 18th century – both are so long that they must be presented partially rolled up. They are remarkable for their side-borders and decorative end panels and count among the most complex draw loom weavings created in that they were woven in one piece with different pattern programmes for the central field, side-borders, and decorative end panels. A textile fragment with a golden central field and decorative end panels was perhaps originally a short sash – this, too, was woven in one piece. The decorative end panels with their colourful peacocks and parakeets amidst swirling vines are especially charming, while the fringed border on all four sides is a later addition when the original sash was altered. These sumptuous sashes and shawls were worn primarily by princes and high-ranking civil servants and were wound round the waist several times, with the patterned end panels draped down decoratively in front of the body.
India has a long tradition of manufacturing resist-dyed cotton fabrics. It was exporting extravagantly dyed fabrics to Egypt, Africa, and Southeast Asia long before the painted and printed fabrics known as ‘indiennes’ became fashionable in Europe. The highlight of this section of the exhibition is a fragment of a hanging that dates from the 14th or 15th century, so before the Mughal period. Its fascinating pattern in various shades of red is so intricate that it is at first sight difficult to grasp. Only when we look longer do the motifs snap into focus: an elephant with two riders, several figures wearing sashes and bearing arms, a rearing horse under a tree, an ornament, etc. A video is provided to explain the sophisticated dyeing technique that was applied here. Indian dyers were indeed specialists. Their products were remarkable for their high quality and the lightfastness of their colours, and they were coveted all over the world. They were an important economic factor, too, and brought the Mughal Empire prosperity.
The last display case contains two elongated silk pouches made of red silk fabrics with gold brocading, each is tied with a braid bearing a seal. These pretty pouches were used to convey letters, and one of the objects on display still contains its original contents. This letter, penned in Persian, is also exhibited along with its original paper envelope. A short video presenting the two letter pouches explains the inscriptions on the seals and gives viewers a glimpse of the culture of courtly correspondence once practised in India. The relationship between the sender and the addressee is reflected both by the letter itself and by the choice of fabric for the pouch.
These multi-coloured velvets and artfully patterned silk and cotton fabrics in the show can give us an inkling of the important role played by textiles, whether in the courtly culture of Mughal India or as export wares. All the objects on view attest to the extraordinary variety and sophistication of the textile art that developed under the Mughals. Through these fragile textiles, and an exotic world of beauty, colour, a sense of the great luxury at the Mughal courts can emerge.
Until 9 November 2025, Abegg Stiftung, Riggisberg, Switzerland, abegg-stiftung.ch
