Mumbai-based auction house Prinseps will put up Athaiya’s collection of heirloom textiles later this month. The collection comprises Athaiya’s saris, including the dark blue chandrakala, dhotis, shelas (stoles) and even a kunchi – a baby’s christening robe – all of them starting from the late 19th century. In an article on Prinseps’ blog, she writes that this collection is “a rich representation of the traditional Maharashtrian upper society of that era”, akin to the Royal Gaekwad Collection. Gaekwad said that this collection is also useful in understanding some of the nuances of Athaiya’s career in costume designing. The other problem is establishing provenance, but one that shouldn’t be a deterrent in the case of Athaiya’s collection, given the photographs of her wearing the saris.

Source: Indian Express July 09, 2021 18:10 UTC