Synopsis
Discusses the history of various costumes worn in India and Sri Lanka.
Uma Krishnaswami - Children's Literature
Part of a thirteen volume series (other titles include Oceania, France, and Eastern Europe), this book features a generic introduction relating clothing to environment from an anthropological perspective. Beginning with Mark Twain's definition of India as "grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition," an overview chapter on the land is followed by the sequencing of its history into the broad eras of "the Golden Age," early Muslim conquests, the "Moguls" and the British. Sidebars provide information on topics of special interest such as the evolution of the sari, religion, classical dance traditions, the Kashmiri shawl, and more. Some of the sidebars are fascinating, offering, for example, information about decorative embroidery motifs and the significance of certain kinds of jewelry. Others are somewhat superficial, such as the description of burqa, from which the reader might mistakenly deduce that all Muslim women wear it. Still, young readers will find intriguing both the treatment of clothing as an expression of culture, and the insights provided into the clash of cultures around practices of dress and body decoration. An interesting mix of traditions is offered by the inclusion of Sri Lanka with its distinctive clothing, much of it quite different from that of the mainland subcontinent. A glossary, timeline, online sources, a reading list, and an index are included. In addition, specialized words related to clothing are explained within the text. 2003, Amber Books,