Inner wedding veil (Patori)

Fine tie-dye was a luxury item, often copied by less expensive techniques. Block printing gave a good imitation, as shown by the wedding veil on the right. Its silk ground and metallic threads furthered the illusion of a costly tie-dyed piece. The veil on the left is a more unusual example; here, embroidery is the means of mimicry. The young woman who stitched this veil for her wedding emphasized its festive nature by using cross-shaped patterns associated with chaupar, a popular Indian game known in the West as parcheesi.