Articles, reports & dispatches.
Long-form scholarship and short news from the HALI editorial desk — published continuously between the four print quarterlies.
The hand of the maker: a phulkari from undivided Punjab
A late 19th-century wedding phulkari from the Karun Thakar Collection, recently shown in the National Trust's "Journeys" exhibition, rewards close looking. Small variations in its design and stitching bring the act of making to life.
A rediscovered suzani goes on show at the V&A
Editor’s Choice is a great opportunity to publish things I come across in my work that might not merit a full essay in HALI. This suzani is a perfect example.
Ben Evans · 5 min
Silk and Splendour: A Man's Surcoat from Uzbekistan
Editor's choice this week was made in the professional workshops of Shakhrisyabz for a wealthy patron: a silk-embroidered surcoat as striking today as when it was made
Ben Evans · 3 min
Silk, Wool and Motion: An Uzbek Suzani in Doha
This week's Editor's Choice is a well-known ‘Lakai’ suzani from the former Vok collection, which features in 'Uzbekistan: Heritage in Motion', on show at the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha.
Dragons in the sky, dragons in silk
What do two ancient Chinese textiles have to tell us about the sky tonight on 12 August.