Temple Tents for Goddesses in Gujarat, India

Temple Tents for Goddesses in Gujarat, India is a monograph on printed and painted canopies and awnings used by some underprivileged groups in Gujarat to erect temporary sacred spaces to perform ceremonies invoking goddesses. The book is based on an exhibition catalogue (in German) the author produced in collaboration with Jyotindra Jain and Haku Shah in 1982 for an exhibition at the Museum Rietberg in Zurich. The first part introduces 52 matano chandarvo textiles that belong to the textile collection of the Museum Rietberg. Production, iconography, function and distribution of these fascinating textiles are discussed in parts 2–7 (plus appendix), supported by photographs which were taken by the author in the late 1960s to 1982.