July 4, 2008

Lookie here at what I found at a used clothing store!

It is set on a 4' x 7' piece of silk. and I think it was all hand done, although, it's difficult for me to tell. I briefly studied Ancient Greek art in university, my partner studied it much more than I and he still keeps up with it, and saw on so many friezes and vases images like this. But this is probably Hindu and the tag said it is from India. I assume the image depicts a woman leaving her family probably to be wed to the man driving the carriage. The woman seems rather nondescript - nothing to identify her as a particular goddess or queen. The man is holding both his bow and shield and there is some type of animal to his right: it looks like a snake's body but it has ears. Interesting.
I was having a coffee in a local Second Cup afterward and one of the counter people was a gentleman I thought was Indian, so I asked if he were Hindu. No, Muslim from Tanzania. Man, was I off. He asked to see this piece and he said it should be framed, but he didn't know who it depicted, although he thought the woman was a queen. He suggested I cut off part of the silk to make the size more reasonable and then frame it. I was toying with that idea as well as I could use the silk in a crazy quilt or to make embellishments. But I won't touch it until I know what it is. I'll have to convince my partner to email some pictures of this to his friend in India and see if he knows what it is. Perhaps it's just a generic pre-wedding scene. We'll see.
On another note, I was wearing my homemade backpack when I visited the shop in which I found this marvelous piece, and the store owner took interest in it and asked to see it. She examined it very carefully and tried it on saying that she wanted to make one for herself. I said that I had designed it and it was easy to make. Later of course, I grew concerned that she would make lots of them and sell them off. I don't mind people making some for themselves but given that I might at some point like to sell the pattern and make and sell some bags, I would take great exception to her making and selling them. Copyright. How do you deal with it? Do you worry that your ideas will be used for profit by others? Maybe you don't care?
This weekend I'll be working more on the yellow quilt - I'm growing quite fond of it - and my mother's unfinished quilt. I'll get some pictures up of the yellow quilt blocks that I've completed. Until then, keep your foot on the dogs.