November 16, 2021
Cotsen Textile Traces Global Roundtable: From India to the World November 17 & 18, 2021 Conference
Wednesday, November 17, 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m. EST
Thursday, November 18, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. EST
Discover the world in a fragment.
The second annual roundtable will present a selection of India’s embroidered, painted and printed textiles from the Cotsen Textile Traces Study Collection. International scholars, artists and designers will discuss recent findings and explore multiple dimensions of these rich traditions and their influences across time and cultures.
Keep reading to see the list of sessions and speakers, or download the complete schedule (PDF).
This program is made possible through funding from the Cotsen Textile Traces Study Collection Endowment, as well as support from Barbara Tober in honor of Dr. Young Yang Chung.
About the Collection
The Cotsen Textile Traces Study Collection represents a lifetime of collecting by business leader and philanthropist Lloyd Cotsen (1929–2017). Comprised of nearly 4,000 fragments from all over the world, the collection offers insights into human creativity from antiquity to the present. Cornerstones of the collection include fragments from Japan, China, pre-Hispanic Peru and 16th- to 18th-century Europe. The entire collection is available online.
Wednesday, November 17: Embroidered Textiles
Welcome: 9-9:20 a.m.
Introduction to Indian Embroidered Textiles From the Cotsen Textile Traces Study Collection
Lori Kartchner, curator of education
John Wetenhall, director
Marie-Eve Celio-Scheurer, academic coordinator for the Cotsen Textile Traces Study Center
Keynote Conversation: 9:20-10 a.m.
Indian Textiles: Conversing With the Transcendent
Ghiora Aharoni, Cotsen Studio artist-in-residence
Mayank Mansingh Kaul, independent curator and writer, New Delhi
Panel 1: 10-11 a.m.
Chikankari and Inspiration for Today’s Fashion
Shalini Sethi, creative head, Good Earth, New Delhi
Paola Mandfredi, independent researcher and consultant, Milano, Italy
Jaspal Kalra, social entrepreneur, design educator, executive director of Kalhath Institute, Lucknow, India
Panel 2: 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Kantha, Then and Now
Ruchira Ghose, former director, National Crafts Museum, New Delhi
Niaz Zaman, advisor, Department of English and Modern Languages, Independent University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Pika Ghosh, visiting associate professor, Haverford College, Haverford, Pa.
Panel 3: 12-1 p.m.
Embroidered Traditions From Kashmir and Beyond
Monisha Ahmed, independent anthropologist, Mumbai, India
Asaf Ali, co-founder of the Kashmir Loom Company, New Delhi and Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
Closure: 1-1:30 p.m.
Reflections on Day 1
Maximiliano Modesti, craft and fashion entrepreneur, Paris and Mumbai, India
Attiya Ahmad, associate professor of anthropology and international affairs, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Thursday November 18: Painted and Printed Textiles
Opening: 9-9:15 a.m.
Introduction to Indian Painted and Printed Textiles from the Cotsen Textile Traces Study Collection
Lori Kartchner, curator of education
Marie-Eve Celio-Scheurer, academic coordinator for the Cotsen Textile Traces Study Center
Keynote Lecture: 9:15-10 a.m.
Indian Printed and Painted Textiles: A Global Phenomenon
Lee Talbot, curator, The Textile Museum Collection
Ben Evans, editor, Hali Publications, London
Rosemary Crill, former senior curator, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Panel 1: 10-11 a.m.
Hand Painted and Printed in India Today
Brigitte Singh, artist, artisan and designer, Jaipur, India
Renukha Reddy, artist, Red Tree Studio, Bangalore, India
Sufiyan Ismail Khatri, Ajrakh craftsman, Kutch, India
Panel 2: 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
From India to the World (Asia and Africa)
Sae Ogasawara, professor emeritus, Japan Women’s University, Tokyo
Ruth Barnes, curator, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn.
Sarah Fee, senior curator of global fashion and textiles, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto
Panel 3: 12-1 p.m.
From India to the World (Europe and America)
Helen Bieri Thomson, director, Musée national suisse, Zürich, Switzerland
Sylvia W. Houghteling, assistant professor, Department of History of Art, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pa.
Amelia Peck, Marica F. Vilcek Curator of American Decorative Arts and supervising curator of the Antonio Ratti Textile Center, The Metropolitan Museum, New York
Closure: 1 p.m.
How to Participate
To join us for the roundtable, please register early to reserve your space.
Once you have registered, we will email you links and details for joining each day of the roundtable on Zoom. We will also email registered participants a full program with a detailed schedule.