Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c5.s3.t5.8

v1.c5.s3.t5.8

This community played an interesting role in the transmission of cultural influences from China to India in the 19^th century CE. Deeply impressed by the skill of Chinese silk embroiderers at Canton, Parsi merchants commissioned Chinese embroiderers to produce beautifully embroidered silk for the sarees worn by the women of their families back home. This was the origin of the famous Parsi gara saris, which have become an intrinsic part of Parsi textile culture. Parsi merchants imported large quantities of Chinese porcelain, furniture and other artefacts which had a significant impact on the lifestyle of the elite in Bombay at that time. They also commissioned Chinese painters like Lamqua and others to paint oil portraits of themselves and their families.