Laharia Turban Cloth

This is a turban cloth made in the early 20th century in Rajasthan, India. It is made out of cotton muslin, and was tie-dyed in the laharia technique. The name of this technique is derived from the Indian word meaning “wave.” This turban cloth has seven colors in zigzag design of thin stripes punctuated by wider ones.

Textile artists using the laharia dye technique roll fabric diagonally up into a coil from selvedge to selvedge and tie all the sections they want to remain undyed with cotton thread. They then dye the fabric, starting with the lightest color and progressing to darker colors. The result is a pattern of diagonal stripes. For multicolored lines, some areas are opened and others tied up for the new dye bath. Artists often combine this technique with hand-painted dyeying.