Ikat Is Not a Pattern. It’s a Process.
Material Culture10 mins

Ikat Is Not a Pattern. It’s a Process.

Why one of the world’s most recognisable textiles is also one of its most misunderstood

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Jaalis Before Glass
Material Culture

Jaalis Before Glass

How India controlled light, heat, and privacy long before modern façades

The Colonial Bungalow and Its Indian DNA
Built Heritage

The Colonial Bungalow and Its Indian DNA

How a vernacular Indian house became a global architectural typology

Madras Checks and the Making of British Summer Style
Material Culture

Madras Checks and the Making of British Summer Style

How a South Indian cotton became a symbol of leisure, class, and casual elegance

Block Printing and the Birth of Wallpaper
Material Culture

Block Printing and the Birth of Wallpaper

How Indian surface traditions shaped Europe’s walls before they shaped its textiles

Indigo Built Global Trade Before It Became a Colour Trend
Material Culture

Indigo Built Global Trade Before It Became a Colour Trend

How an Indian dye shaped economies, empires, and the modern idea of blue

Chintz Was Banned in Europe Before It Was Celebrated
Material Culture

Chintz Was Banned in Europe Before It Was Celebrated

Indian chintz reshaped European interiors, economies, and taste long before it became a classic. This is the story of the textile Europe tried to ban before copying it.

Paisley Isn’t Scottish. It’s Kashmiri.
Material Culture

Paisley Isn’t Scottish. It’s Kashmiri.

How a Himalayan shawl motif became a European industrial signature

When Heritage Becomes a Living Event
Gatherings

When Heritage Becomes a Living Event

What the Singapore Heritage Festival reveals about how modern cities remember

Kantha Was Never Meant to Be New
Material Culture

Kantha Was Never Meant to Be New

Why Bengal’s most intimate textile is losing meaning in the global market

The Indian Hand Behind Global Luxury Interiors
Material Culture

The Indian Hand Behind Global Luxury Interiors

How Indian textile craft became foundational to international design without becoming visible

Women Make the World’s Crafts. They Do Not Own Them.
Material Culture

Women Make the World’s Crafts. They Do Not Own Them.

Why the global handmade economy runs on female labour and male control

India Was the Original Global Economy
Built Heritage

India Was the Original Global Economy

Why the world came here first and never really left

"We are forgetting how to make things. And in forgetting the hand, we are forgetting ourselves."

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