Treasures from Pakistan and India
Curator: Patricia Stoddard
The Ralli Quilts come from the Sindh region in Pakistan and India and are made for domestic and religious uses. The rallis textiles may be made by piecing, appliqué, or embroidery techniques. The textiles mix bold designs and bright colors in traditional patterns of florals and geometrics. These designs can be found in carvings on desert tombs in Sindh and Baluchistan and on ancient pottery of that region, such as the motifs in Mehrgarh pottery (6000-3000 BC.) One can also find legends, folk songs and sayings about rallis. Owning many ralli quilts is a sign of wealth in the rural areas, yet rallis are often made from used and worn out clothing. These scraps are hand dyed with the most common colors used being white, black, red, yellow, orange, green, dark blue, and purple. The piecing is usually done by one woman, she then enlists female friends and family members to help hand stitch the top and bottom layers together. Ralli textiles are most often made for use within the family unit.
