Baggy shalvaar style pants, worn with a long tunic (part a), and veil or shawl (part c), as part of a wedding ensemble. Pants are made of wild tussar silk in a light orange-brown colour and have a wide waist band, with pull-string that ties at the front. Legs are pleated at top front, loose through the thigh and tapering toward the ankle, where hem is stitched five times. The garment is otherwise undecorated. Interior is lined with silk fabric in a course weave.

• Cultural Context

  weddings; ceremonial

• Narrative

  This three-piece raw silk wedding ensemble was commissioned in the 1980s by friends of the bride, Ms. C. Aiyar. Ms. Aiyar, Hindu, came from Tamil Nadu in South India, however the style of this garment is more of a northern style (e.g., salwar/chemise rather than sari), likely because she was marrying a groom from North India. The colour is also unusual, as most Hindu brides prefer to marry in bright red saris. The natural (un-dyed) colour of this material is said to be associated with renunciation and contemplation. It was chosen because the bride had lived with her parents in an ashram until she was 16 years old, when she married.

• Specific Techniques

  The raw silk fabric was hand-woven. India is the second largest producer of tussar silk, which is produced by tribal groups living in the sub-tropical forested regions.

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• Type of Item pant
• Culture South India
• Material silk fibre
• Measurements height 100.6 cm, width 88.5 cm (overall)

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• Previous Owner Gillian Darling Kovanic, C. Aiyar, Rudi Kovanic
• Received from Rudi Kovanic

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• Made in Tamil Nadu

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• Creation Date during 1985
• Ownership Date before September 29, 2015
• Acquisition Date on September 29, 2015

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• Item Classes textiles
• Condition good
• Accession Number 3132/0002 b