Hand-knotted carpets have historically carried stories, from Persian garden paradises to Mughal court narratives, but rarely have they addressed the biological realities of women. Jaipur Rugs and multidisciplinary artist Princess Pea are changing that with “DAYS,” a special edition collection that uses menstruation as its conceptual foundation to explore womanhood, identity, and the invisible labor sustaining domestic life.
Princess Pea, known for her work examining gender and self-worth through various mediums, has created four hand-knotted carpets, each representing a different phase in a woman’s cycle. Day 1 arrives in blue for depth and reflection, Day 2 in pink for tenderness, Day 3 in mustard for resilience, and Day 4 in salmon for warmth and renewal. Each piece functions as both a visual meditation and a political statement about whose experiences deserve representation in spaces typically reserved for decorative silence.
This art commission by the Jaipur Rugs Foundation gradually evolved through months of workshops between Princess Pea and women artisans. This extended dialogue within domestic spaces where these artisans work became integral to the final pieces, raising substantive questions about authorship in craft traditions. Historically, artisans in the Indian carpet industry have been credited as skilled labor rather than co-creators, a distinction that affects both recognition and compensation. DAYS deliberately blurs this boundary.
Princess Pea introduces archetypal figures into the compositions: the father, mother, sister, and couple. These presence reframe menstruation from an experience of isolation to one deserving collective care and empathy. In many Indian communities, menstruating women still face restrictions on entering kitchens, temples, and communal spaces. By visualizing care around this biological reality, the collection directly challenges cultural taboos that persist despite urbanization and education.
Technically, the work originated as miniature paintings on silk before translation into wool through hand-knotting. This shift in medium represents more than material change. Miniature painting, with its courtly associations and fine art status, occupies a different cultural position than carpet-making, despite both being traditional Indian crafts. Women artisans brought their own understanding of repetition, patience, and endurance to the knotting process, embedding their knowledge of sustained labor into every piece.
Yogesh Chaudhary, Director, Jaipur Rugs, said, “DAYS beautifully captures the spirit of what we stand for at Jaipur Rugs, the intersection of art, craft, and human emotion. What began as a meaningful project with the Jaipur Rugs foundation has evolved into a powerful artistic collaboration that gives voice to women whose stories are often unheard. Through Princess Pea’s vision and the hands of our artisans, this collection transforms everyday labour into a language of dignity, resilience, and self-expression.”
Jaipur Rugs has been positioning itself differently from traditional carpet exporters over the past decade. Founded in 1978 by Nand Kishore Chaudhary, the company has developed programs connecting rural artisans directly with global design markets.
Positioning menstruation within artistic practice isn’t new, artists like Judy Chicago addressed bodily taboos in the 1970s, but doing so through traditional craft made by women in rural India adds layers of meaning. These artisans work in regions where menstrual stigma remains entrenched, where access to sanitary products can be limited, and where women’s health concerns often go unaddressed. By making these realities visible through their labor, the collection operates as both representation and economic opportunity.
Projects bridging contemporary art and traditional craft have proliferated in India’s design sector recently, from collaborations between Studio Mumbai and textile artisans to initiatives by organizations like Dastkar. “DAYS” fits within this movement while specifically centering women’s bodily experiences, a focus that distinguishes it from collaborations emphasizing aesthetics or technique alone. These rugs continue dialogues about care, labor, and visibility beyond institutional walls.
