Divia Patel

In the winter of 2023, I spent three months on placement at the V&A, where I researched the provenance of the museum’s South Asian collections as part of a Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). The V&A’s provenance research placement was an attractive opportunity for me, as a PhD student who studies the history of collecting in colonial India and is interested in a career in the heritage sector.

The Karun Thakar Fund is presented by Karun Thakar in collaboration with the V&A. In its inaugural 2021 – 2022 year the fund will offer one-time scholarships of up to £10,000 to students studying any aspect of Asian or African textiles and/or dress at any university in the world. The Karun Thakar Fund aims to enrich the fields of Asian and African textiles and dress by supporting new and original approaches to study and practice, foregrounding fresh perspectives and ground-breaking research.

Today on 7th May 2015, when we in the UK can exercise our democratic right to vote for the next government it is perhaps timely to remember the birth of the largest democracy in the world. India became an Independent nation state in 1947 and textiles and fabric played an important role in making this happen. Did you know that the Indian flag has to be made from khadi (handwoven fabric made from handspun thread) or that the spinning wheel was once the centre of the national flag?