New Delhi, July 4 -- Six decades ago, a group of archaeologists sifting through the ruins of Old Cairo in Egypt made an unexpected discovery: fragments of block-printed fabrics dating back to the 10th century with nature-inspired motifs that were later identified as ajrakh textiles from Gujarat.

One of those motifs adorns an indigo cotton-silk shirt on display at the textile gallery of the National Crafts Museum in Delhi. Layered beneath a silk long overshirt and cotton trousers printed in the Machilipatnam style of kalamkari, the shirt is patterned with saucer-like medallions featuring floral motifs arranged within geometric forms in shades of indigo, red, black and white. The ensemble draws inspiration from Mary Cassatt's celebrated pa...