Indian Zardozi-Embroidered Silk Address Pouch (Kharita)

This cloth pouch of padded red silk thickly embroidered and densely and lavishly couched on both sides with silver-gilt wire and gold-coloured sequins using a technique known as zardozi work is based on the embroidered pouch known as a kharita which was used by Indian rulers and royals to enclose letters to one another.

It is decorated on one side with the royal coat of arms of Great Britain, within scrolling floral and leaf borders, and on the other side with a dramatic floral emblem within more scrolling floral and leaf borders. (The arms are likely to be the royal coat of arms of Great Britain, however, various traditional Indian rulers adopted coats of arms based on the British version. The Maharaja of Jaipur is one example.)

Two draw strings in gold thread with gold thread tassels are attached to one side.

The presence of the royal coat of arms of Great Britain is testament to the pouch having been used during the colonial era.

A related example used to hold an address presented to Edward VII, then Prince of Wales by the Maharaja or Benares in 1876, is illustrated in Meghani (2017, p. 72).

Zardozi work whereby raised gold embroidery was added to velvet or silk, probably was introduced by the Portuguese. Many Indian royal houses commissioned zardozi embroiderers to embellish jackets, shoes, umbrellas and other articles with this work that were to be worn and used in the court. The zardozi embroiderers typically were Muslim men.

The pouch here is in remarkably good condition. There are few losses, certainly none that are obvious. Some of the couched threads are loose as might be expected. The structure remains intact and robust. There are no holes, splits or restoration.