3 x 4 Antique Embroidered Rajasthan Throw 74898

74898 Late 19th Century Antique Embroidered Rajasthan Throw, 03'02 x 03'07. 

Woven with regal elegance and spiritual reverence, this antique embroidered silk textile from Rajasthan conjures the splendor of a princely era—likely crafted in the late 19th century. Its rare arched shape suggests it once adorned a sacred or ceremonial context, perhaps as a dowry cloth, temple panel, or the back of a royal garment. The luminous silk velvet center, dyed in a resplendent amber hue, is meticulously overlaid with a glistening lattice of metallic threadwork. This gridded pattern, both architectural and ornamental, speaks to the Mughal-influenced precision cherished in the courts of Jaisalmer and Bikaner.

Encircling the central field is a lavish border of embroidered rosettes and scrolling vines, executed in oxidized gold zari. Each motif is a testament to time-honored techniques of couching and padding that give the flowers a sculptural, high-relief presence. These blossoms, possibly stylized lotuses or marigolds, symbolize purity and abundance—motifs recurrent in both Hindu and Islamic textile traditions of the subcontinent. The embroidery exudes both opulence and devotion, its once-radiant metal threads now softened to an antique patina that reveals the textile’s noble age.

A deeper examination reveals careful symmetry and compositional balance, hallmarks of 19th-century Rajput artistry. The four corner floral medallions reinforce the ceremonial nature of the textile, grounding its exuberance with a sense of order. The surrounding red fringes and woven chevron accents enhance its tactile richness and hint at its handmade provenance. This textile was not a mere decorative object—it likely bore witness to auspicious rituals, festive processions, or intimate family ceremonies beneath candlelight and incense.

Today, this Rajasthani relic transcends its original function to serve as a fragment of living history—a shimmering echo of India’s artistic golden age. It invites not only admiration for its visual intricacy but also reverence for the hands that shaped it, the stories it once enveloped, and the enduring symbolism stitched into every petal and vine. In a modern space, it becomes both a visual centerpiece and a bridge to a world steeped in spiritual beauty and ancestral craft.

• Distressed. Desirable Age Wear. As-Is. 
• Abrash.
• Hand woven cotton, silk, silver thread and sequins.
• Made in India. 
• Measures: 03'02 x 03'07.
• Date: 1880's. Late 19th Century.