Woven Cargoes

Here is a visual record of one of the great untold stories of Asian design history: the trade in Indian textiles to Southeast and East Asia. For over 1000 years Indian cloths were traded for spices and the forest and mineral wealth of the East by Asian, Arab and European merchants. Including dazzling chintzes and expensive tie-die silk that was reserved for the nobility, these textiles served as diplomatic gifts, displays on festive occasions and as clothing for the populace at rites of passage and other ceremonies. John Guy draws on first-hand descriptions by travellers and merchants, on historic images of people and places, and on related arts to tell the story of the trade.