Madras in Focus: Sooboo Chetty

Very few historic South Indian textiles can be attributed to specific makers. This mid-19th century length of eight hand-woven Madras handkerchiefs is a very rare exception. An original exhibition label still attached to the cloth records that it was ‘manufactured in Madras, by Sooboo Chetty’. However, it is unclear whether Sooboo Chetty was the actual weaver the piece. At the time it was made the term ‘manufacturer’ was also used to describe the traders who commissioned weavers to make cloth, which makes Sooboo Chetty’s role in the production of these handkerchiefs ambiguous.