A very rare hand-stitched patchwork blanket from the Meghwal tribe of Kutch. It has been pieced together using scraps of fabric and sari.
It is bright and has some applique around the border. The fabrics used are a mix of cotton and synthetic. The center of this quilt is made from a traditional block print called 'Ajrakh block print', local to the Kutch area. It's naturally dyed cotton.
Although there is a remarkable resemblance to American patchwork and the theory that American missionaries in Pakistan in the 19th century taught these skills, the Meghwar tribes have been making their ralli (rilli) patchwork quilts for many hundreds of years. These women living in mud huts with thatched grass grooves, mud floors, no electricity and water collected from a well.
