A Large and Beautifully "Boro" Sindhi Ralli: Layers Revealed through Wear

mid twentieth century84" x 55", 213 cm x 140 cm A ralli is a traditional, quilted textile made from layers of discarded, recycled cotton cloth and configured into a multitude of traditional patterns.  The back of this ralli is highlighted in the photos that accompany this post.This ralli was made in Sindh, Pakistan, a southern area that is contiguous to the Indian states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat, where some of these quilted textiles are also sewn. Lines and lines of running stitch  secure and strengthen the layers of cloth that make a ralli. A large ralli such as this one is used as a bed cover for traditional wooden sleeping cots, as a floor covering, bag or as padding for a work animal. Both Hindu and Muslim women create these textiles, whose name is derived from the local word ralanna which means to mix or to connect. And this particular ralli is wonderfully rich in personality and in history.  The proper back, our preferred side of this quilt, shows evidence of its long lif