Woman's wedding veil (Odhani) c. 20th century

This wedding veil, or Odhani, was probably made by the Kumbhar community, and there’s a whole world of process and tradition folded into it, don't you think? It’s like seeing a painting where the artist has built the image dot by dot, line by line. Look closely and you will see the way the pattern accumulates, through repetition and variation, creating the fabric's overall texture. The red is so rich and vibrant, punctuated by the yellow borders, which makes you think about how color can carry a whole culture's worth of stories. Think about the center of the cloth: the pattern becomes more detailed, almost like the still point of a spinning wheel. This reminds me of Hilma af Klint, with her own language of symbols, but what I like about this veil is the combination of precision and free-flowing motifs, the idea of something so incredibly handmade, made for a day of celebration and ritual. It’s a beautiful example of how art can be woven into the fabric of our lives.