Women and Stringed Instruments: a) Temple Sculpture (anklets!) b) Kalighat Painting (the women always have anklets and pointy shoes) c) Mid 19th century portrait (the attire appears late Mughal) d) Raja Ravi Varma’s woman playing sitar (love the casually discarded footwear detail, the sari is the … Continue reading
There are plenty of representations of the lotus in Indian art, more often than not religious iconography. Here is a (non religious) selection. Additional posts on the choli and nihonga paintings of Indian women can also be sampled on tumblr.
Indeed, in the early twentieth century, the press loved nothing more than featuring women medical students from around the world in their native costumes. A few posts at tumblr on women in medicine/science in the period from the 1880s-1940s. More … Continue reading
Courtesan, possibly late 19th century. Accessories: A Bird. And Attitude. The ensemble is a loose style of salwar-kameez with what looks like a short kameez/tunic. Up close she has interesting shoes with bow ties. And anklets. And a substantial … Continue reading
Today is the birth anniversary of India’s third Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Mrs Gandhi’s handloom sarees and simple blouses set the style for women politicians for several decades. Initially as her father’s hostess and later as the Prime Minister, she rarely got … Continue reading
I am a little hesitant to club these three writers together as representative of subcontinental Muslim women writers in the early part of the 20th century. However, though as writers they are quite different, for the purposes of today’s post … Continue reading
Still from Mahanagar. I think this is the interview scene or perhaps a scene at the office. And that’s the workaday blouse as we know it (though this might be changing).
I came across a number of postcards – which actually boast a number of blouse styles (you can follow the link if interested) – of which I will post a few today. Most are pictures of pretty women intended as … Continue reading
The Victorian influenced blouse teamed with a nine-yard aka the Tamil Madisar saree.
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Vintage Indian Clothing 