Habit of a Lady of Indostan

by Thomas Jefferys

The engraving above is an essential historical document providing insight into the fashion culture of South Asia through the eyes of Europeans during the eighteenth century. The engraving titled "Habit of a Lady of Indostan" shows the complex process involved in dressing up with the peshwaz or jama. As the geographer to King George III and an accomplished cartographer, Jefferys brings his map-maker’s perspective in analyzing the folds of the peshwaz garment in the context of the "other."