Angarkha
An Indian man's outer garment, the angarkha, made of golden silk with a repeating round pattern and characterized by its diagonal front closure. Full commentary ↓
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Angarkha is a textile by an unknown maker (19th century) in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
In the pictureA long outer garment of golden silk woven with a regular round pattern is shown on a mannequin. The chest is cut in a curve that reveals the garment beneath, it fastens below with ties, and the sleeves are long and narrow. The skirts fall below the knee, and the edges are trimmed with a red border.
BackgroundThe angarkha is an outer garment worn by men in northern and western India, and its structure, closing across the chest on a diagonal or a curve, is the origin of its name. Silk woven with metal thread belonged to courts or wealthy merchants, and the round motif has been a staple of Indian textiles since the Mughal Empire. It is a garment often worn by Indian nobles in 19th-century photographs.
Puzzle tipThe pattern repeats regularly, which makes it difficult. Set the frame first with the curved chest opening, the red border and the tie pieces, then distinguish the pattern pieces by the size and spacing of the circles (small on the sleeves, large on the body). 48 pieces is recommended.
- Classification
- Main dress-Menswear
- Medium
- Silk, metal wrapped thread; woven
- Dimensions
- Overall:
- Credit line
- Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 1964
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art ↗
Stories about this work
- Angarkha, Choga, and Kurta: Embroidery and Weaving in Indian Menswear
The kurta is a long shirt worn across South Asia, the angarkha a robe that fastens diagonally across the chest, the choga a loose open-front robe. Nine 18th–19th century garments at the Met show the differences and the embroidery.
