Wall Hanging

Wall hanging (mata-ni-pachedi or mata-no-chandarvo) with a representation of Sikotar Mata also known as Vahanvati Mata, the Goddess of Seafarers. The central panel contains the mata or mother goddess, in this case Sikotar Mata, who is seated in a large ship complete with cannons. She is in a fearsome form wielding weapons to fight off demons. A goat is being led to sacrifice in front of her by a bhuvo priest-shaman. Textiles like this one would have been used in conjunction with shrines and temples for ritual use. The textile has hand painted features as well as various block printed motifs including the sun, other Hindu deities, flowers, birds, fierce animals, and fish. There are several borders that surround the panel made up of chevrons, a simplified paisley design, and a row of flowers. The cloth is made of a natural cotton fabric which is printed and painted with an ink made of rust and sugar cane juice. The artist who made the piece is a man named Vaghi who works out of the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat province in western India. There is a small inscription in a box near the front of the ship at the center of the piece.