A Delightful Recycled Cotton Dhoti: Hand Embroidered Gujarati Bag

What a magnificent, exuberant Indian folk textile which comes from the Charan community of the state of Gujarat.

This is an embroidered cotton bag, large in size, whose base is that of a recycled, man's dhoti, a kind of traditional men's sarong: you can see the blue, woven stripes of the original dhoti in many of the accompanying detail photos.  

The stitched embroidery is simply fascinating and charming: this bag is a standard variety among the Charan people, and countless and subtle variations on it exist.  The bag is made of at least two layers of cloth and is still quite sturdy and usable.  The interior, not pictured here, is beautiful: it is a patchwork of old, faded, madder dyed wood block printed cloth, and is a lovely visual treat.

There is some noticeable surface abrasion and staining to the body of the bag; please look at the photos here for a better look at this detail.

The cotton strap is newly applied to the body of the bag and is easily removed if so desired--but what fun it would be to wear this bag.

Really, really gorgeous and recommended.