Costumes of the migrating body
A study of indentured labors' clothes and jewelry
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2391284 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nitish Jha (0000-0002-3613-5148, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, corresponding author), Smriti Singh (0000-0002-1829-5906, Indian Institute of Technology Patna) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 203-226 |
| Publication date | 2024-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Material Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1359-1835 • E-ISSN: 1460-3586 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/13591835241248335 |
| OpenAlex | W4395042026 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 35 |
The years 1838-1924 in colonial India saw the first organized exodus of around 1.5 million. These emigrants were employed as indentured laborers in the various plantations owned by the Empire. Along with the people, what migrated were objects like clothes and jewelry. While some of these items were provided by the plantation regimes, others were brought by the emigrants. Though there have been studies about the lives on the plantations, the marine lives of the travelers and their personal belongings have been neglected. Objects such as clothes and jewelry not only have cultural significance but also form part of the emigrants' memory. This article critically analyses the usage of cultural artifacts as "floating signifiers" and how these artifacts are altered with a change of setting. Building on the ideas of Bhabha, Skinner, and others, this article aims to understand the role of material possessions in the lives of the plantation workers. The narratives discussed allow readers to witness changes in the role of materials like clothes and jewelry accompanying the emigrants on their voyage to the plantations
Aesthetics · Archaeology · Art · Clothing · Colonialism · Emigration · Empire · Literature · Narrative · Political science · Sociology · Visual arts · Witness · Colonial History and Postcolonial Studies · Crafts, Textile, and Design · Fashion and Cultural Textiles · History · Law
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |