Assamese Silk Fragment

Silk weave featuring rows of alternating dragons and elephants. Five rows are set against blue ground while an additional row below them is set against red ground. Two arrow head narrow borders to the top and bottom of the red band. Stitched to two other silk at the bottom.This kind of weave is known as lampas. It is woven with a supplementary warp and weft to give a raised pattern.This silk has only one selvedge at the bottom. Rare textile from a group initiated in 16th century Assam in eastern India by a Hindu holy man named Sankaradeva. These textiles were used as altar covers and their production discontinued by the end of the 18th century.