Anbulakshmi’s 57×29 inch textile work echoes 19th century weaver’s legacy

Chennai: At the bottom right corner of a large framed textile work in red and black, two letters stand out for their distinct style. ‘AL’ reads a little shakily, the ‘A’ smaller than the ‘L’, as individual as a signature.

The detail recalls the practice of legendary 19th century Baluchari weaver Dubraj Das, who finished his saris by weaving his name in Bangla script. That mark remains the only material proof modern textile historians have of the pathbreaking weaver’s work.

The same spirit of permanence inspired Anbulakshmi, creator of the 57×29 inch piece, though it took convincing for her to add her own initials as a final flourish. One can only guess at the prescience that led Das to mark his textiles for perpetuity, a tradition Anbulakshmi now echoes in her own work, linking contemporary craft to a historic legacy.