An Ethno-artistic Study of Textile Techniques and Their Transmission in Contemporary India

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26370122
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Aesthetics and studies on art
• Research Institution: National Museum of Ethnology
• Principal Investigator: UEBA Yoko 国立民族学博物館, 人類文明誌研究部, 准教授 (10510406)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 民族芸術学 / 手工芸研究 / 染織研究

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The research reported here attempts to clarify how traditional skills are transmitted and contemporary elements are incorporated in contemporary handicrafts. It examines the case of dyed and printed cloths for goddess rituals produced in Gujarat State in India, using field research from an ethnological perspective to gather data on the production and sale of these textiles. This research reveals clear differences in production and marketing strategies. Producers catering to local markets discard traditional techniques and aim at less labor-intensive, high-volume production of products with consistent quality. They are continuously making improvements, making extensive use of the new dyes and pigments constantly being developed. In contrast, those who target tourists draw upon outsiders’ dyeing techniques, assert their traditional nature, and incorporate them as their own techniques, choosing the production techniques to use in strategic response to their customers’ price preferences.

Free Research Field

芸術学