September

By the mid 19th century, commercialisation and mass production of Indian textiles such as Kashmiri shawls and Phulkaris for western markets, caused a decline in the quality of work and design. In response, key figures of British Victorian society including John Lockwood Kipling, Flora Annie Steel and Owen Jones led initiatives to revive and extoll the superiority of traditional Indian handicrafts - including publications and exhibitions such as The Punjab Industrial Exhibition of 1893. Queen Victoria's royal patronage of Indian fabrics as well as artists, also promoted Indian fashion and design amongst the wider public.

Depicted left, is Bhai Ram Singh - the Sikh artist and architect whom she employed to help create the Indian styled 'Durbar' room at Osbourne House. Bhai Ram Singh, who was to become Principle of the Mayo School of Art (established by Kipling for reviving Indian artisan skills) was also commissioned to design the textile canopy and carpets used for the royal throne area of the Coronation Durbar, Delhi in 1911. One of his designs for this in scarlet and gold is shown left.