247 | Mandala Moth
FILED UNDER: THE TOWER OF STARS
Recovered from the upper levels of the Tower of Stars, folded beneath a disused observatory table. No owner identified. Gold lacing intact; several embroidered panels show evidence of earlier use.
SHELL
Recycled and restored saree embroidery; a constellation of gold, indigo, and moss-toned fragments overstitched until ruin became a rhythmic pattern. Era 1990s-2010s.
LINING
Crisp indigo cotton.
DETAILING
Centered by a circular medallion, evoking ancient ceilings lit by candlelight. Hand-finished with exposed overstitching and indigo binding.
STRUCTURE
Boned to preserve its structure while lifting the chest and cinching the waist.
LACING
Gold-toned silk cord through brass grommets.
SIZE
S [size guide]
EDITION
One of one.
FROM THE CITY ARCHIVES
The Tower of Stars
Mandala Moth was recorded among the garments attributed to the Night Weaver, whose work was kept in the upper rooms of the Tower of Stars. Little is known of the Weaver herself. The surviving records describe her as a seamstress who worked chiefly with recovered textiles, embroidered fragments, ribbons and discarded ornaments, often combining pieces that had belonged to garments of very different origins.
The garments associated with her are recognisable by their unusual construction. Nothing appears to have been chosen simply because it matched. Old embroidery is placed beside unfamiliar cloth; damaged ornament is preserved rather than replaced; fragments are joined until their former identities become difficult to separate. Mandala Moth is among the more elaborate surviving examples.
Its central embroidered medallion is thought to have been retained from an earlier textile, though its original purpose has not been established. The surrounding panels contain several distinct embroidery traditions, suggesting that the garment was assembled over time rather than made from a single prepared cloth.
The Night Weaver's own records, if they ever existed, have not been recovered.
