Fashion veil

Textile traditions changed slowly in the villages, but in the cities a wealthy elite kept up with Western trends. When traditional weavers catered to the new tastes, the results could be intriguing, as in this Art Deco veil featuring European-style floral sprays and serpents auspiciously associated with Hindu deities. Woven in Varanasi, a north-central Indian city long known for its gold and silver thread brocades, this veil might have been worn in any metropolitan center.