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India, for the European Market

Waistcoat Front Panel

1760s
Cotton, plain weave foundation; embroidered with silk and gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk thread in chain stitches
86.6 × 40 cm (34.1 × 15.7 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

By the 18th century Indian textile artisans had already been celebrated internationally for centuries for their cotton textiles, whether embroidered or dyed in bright colors. This waistcoat front panel exemplifies Indian makers’ ability to cater to the taste of foreign markets: the shape of the embroidery was made to the specifications of Western European tailoring.

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