This thesis provides an insight into the textiles of the Tarim Basin, focusing on colours and patterns. It provides a dataset of a hundred samples to compare and study the basin’s textiles and...Show moreThis thesis provides an insight into the textiles of the Tarim Basin, focusing on colours and patterns. It provides a dataset of a hundred samples to compare and study the basin’s textiles and through them, the cultures they came from. It discusses the Roman-centric view of western archaeologists and whether this is visible when studying the available archaeological data. There is a clear difference in chronology visible in the textiles, as earlier textiles were made using individually dyed threads woven into patterns, while later textiles have patterns painted on the fabric. There is also a shift in the use of colour and patterns within sites over the centuries, much like fashion trends come and go in the modern day. Most of the samples in the dataset are silks, proving that silk was not purely used as a valuta within the Silk Roads, but was also used for luxury garments, accessories and for religious use. The site of Loulan is an archaeological treasure, and within this thesis there is a focus on textiles from this site in particular, next to other sites like Niya and Sampula. Comparing the textiles show that it is almost impossible to attach cultural labels on these samples through colours and patterns, as they are a product of a melting pot of cultures coming together in the Tarim Basin. One sample will have multiple cultural influences, and can therefore not be placed in one category. Much remains unknown about these textiles and further research is necessary to be able to shed more light on a fascinating piece of history of the ancient Silk Roads.Show less
The aim of this thesis is to study the intra-Asian textile trade of the Dutch East India Company (De Verenigde Oost Indische Compagnie, hereafter VOC) between the VOC’s establishment in the...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to study the intra-Asian textile trade of the Dutch East India Company (De Verenigde Oost Indische Compagnie, hereafter VOC) between the VOC’s establishment in the Coromandel region in the southeastern coast of India and the VOC’s regional establishment at Makassar on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia during the eighteenth century. This thesis focusses primarily on the commercial dynamics of the VOC’s trade in Coromandel textiles to Makassar. The core of the thesis is built upon the trade analysis of the distribution of Coromandel textiles by the VOC in Makassar during the eighteenth century on the basis of the richness of the VOC’s bookkeeping records. The study aims to give an account of the different textile varieties the VOC traded in and the underlying rationale that governed the VOC’s commercial policy of trading in specific categories of Coromandel textiles. Therefore, this study also negotiates the modalities of the VOC’s policy that informed the trade in Coromandel textiles to Makassar during the eighteenth century. The study is situated within the realm of growing literature on the intra-Asian trade of the VOC and hopes to make a contribution to the existing historiographical discourse on the intra-Asian textile trade of the VOC.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
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This thesis focuses on the nascent buta pattern, as woven into Kashmir shawls from the 1680s until the end of the 17th century. It argues that Shah Jahan’s flowering plant motif played a crucial...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the nascent buta pattern, as woven into Kashmir shawls from the 1680s until the end of the 17th century. It argues that Shah Jahan’s flowering plant motif played a crucial role in the development of the nascent buta pattern. Consequently, this thesis argues that the development of the nascent buta may have been shaped as much by contemporary Iranian and European stylistic influences—as is often argued—as by the Mughals' own Islamic and Central Asian heritage. This thesis also makes an iconological contribution. Following the aesthetic development of the shawls—still plain, under Akbar—I aim to investigate how each Mughal emperor articulated his quest for royal identity. In this context, I study this royal pattern—and its success—as a symbol of the Mughal garden, which is an expression of the Qur'anic al-janna (the Paradise Garden), as well as of the Timurid garden. Additionally, my purpose is to highlight how Kashmir shawls, and the nascent buta pattern, came to be considered extremely valuable and sophisticated items, by focusing on Islamic gift-giving practices.Show less
This thesis focusses on nine traditional Balinese paintings collected by Ir. T.A. Resink and purchased by the Museum Volkenkunde in 1971. By first identifying the nine paintings that protray the...Show moreThis thesis focusses on nine traditional Balinese paintings collected by Ir. T.A. Resink and purchased by the Museum Volkenkunde in 1971. By first identifying the nine paintings that protray the Arjunawiwaha story it is possible to give more insight into the relationship between the paintings and the textual tradition, and try to contextualize the paintings in their cultural setting.Show less
In this thesis the added value of using μ-CT scans in the study of archaeological textiles is studied. To study the potential of this technique, two samples of the textiles from the sites of Oss...Show moreIn this thesis the added value of using μ-CT scans in the study of archaeological textiles is studied. To study the potential of this technique, two samples of the textiles from the sites of Oss-Vorstengraf and Uden-Slabroekse Heide were analysed. These Early Iron Age sites are among the few prehistoric sites that have brought forth preserved archaeological textiles. The sites were chosen because of their precise dating and their thoroughly documented context information. The textiles fragments of both sites have been mineralised through their contact with metal objects and thus have been mineralised. For this research the two samples were scanned with μ-CT at a synchrotron facility. The μ-CT data was used to create 3D representations of the scanned textiles. The potential of μ-CT in the study of archaeological textiles was assessed by comparing the 3D representations of the textiles, with the results of the analysis with SEM, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and the results of the technical analysis of the same samples. With the 3D representations of the textiles, it is possible to thoroughly study the structure of a textiles from all possible angles and it provides the ability to create cross-sections of the textile. To assess the preservation of the textile and the determine the source of the fibres, SEM is the most optimal technique to be used, since it provides the required view of the surface of the individual fibres, which is lost with the 3D representations. Still, when using μ-CT to study archaeological textiles, the costs and efforts to create the 3D representations should be taken into account. In the future, the combination of μ-CT and SEM might prove to be a valuable combination to study archaeological textiles.Show less
