The semi nomadic tribes of western and southern India are famous for their elaborate embroidery usually done in bright colors. Referred to as "banjara" embroidery, this style is accompanied with extensive use of mirrors, wood beads, cowrie shells and buttons. Rural women folk in western and north-western India arrange vintage textile patches with banjara embroidery in a harmonious fashion to create wonderful wall hangings or tapestries.

While usual selection criteria such as shape, size and colors apply to the banjara Indian tapestries as well, there are a few subtle nuances that can assist in selecting this exquisite piece of craftsmanship. The purpose of this guide is to discuss the factors that are over and beyond the size, shape and the color of the wall hanging.

a) Extensiveness of the embroidery: This possibly is the single largest factor that directly impacts the beauty and the price of the banjara wall hanging. The best patches from vintage textiles and dresses are extensively embroidered. Wall hangings that are made primarily using these patches display a greater range of colors and motifs and are usually more expensive than the rest. The following two pictures give you a close look at two wall hangings. The one on the left is made of patches with very extensive embroidery.

b) Mirror work and bead work: Embedded mirror work in various sizes along with beads (wood, bone, metal), old coins and cowrie shells add to the sparkle, weight and price of banjara hangings. In most cases, wall hangings with mirror work produce a glittering effect - the exceptions are cases where mirror work has been exposed to the elements and is rusted. Wall hangings with mirror work patches over 20 to 25 years old can have cracked or missing mirrors. Cowrie shells are considered a sign of prosperity and most banjara tapestries will have a few of them. The following picture shows a banjara tapestry with extensive mirror work.

c) Pattern arrangement: Banjara embroidery wall hangings usually have a more ordered placement of textile patches compared to the Indian sari beaded wall hangings. A few tapestries however do use patches arranged in a random fashion around neckline patches. The visual appeal of the two patterns is quite different. The following pictures show two wall hangings with ordered and random patch arrangement respectively.

At Exotica Gallerie India, we bring you a wide range of Indian banjara tapestries that vary in size, color and extensiveness of embroidery and mirror work. Feel free to write to me with your comments, questions and suggestions.

 Exotica Gallerie India