Patolu
18th/19th century
Silk, gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk or bast fiber, strips of plain weave and stripes of warp and weft resist dyed (double ikat), plain weave with gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk or bast fiber brocading wefts; main warp fringe
407.6 × 102.9 cm (160.5 × 40.5 in)
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Not currently on view
In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026
Discussion
FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG
Patola are finely woven silk textiles made in Gujarat, India. They became highly valued imports in Indonesia, where merchants gave them to local rajas (rulers) to curry favor for trade. As a result, they came to be prized by their owners as heirlooms denoting high status. Artists create the designs using a double-ikat technique, dyeing the threads prior to weaving.
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