01 March - 07 June, 2026
The Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai in collaboration with the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP), Bengaluru and Impart are thrilled to present the exhibition ‘Ticket Tika Chaap’. Bringing these intricate and evocative textile tickets into focus, it explores them as both commercial tools and cultural artefacts—objects that shaped consumer behaviour while also capturing the political, social, and artistic shifts of their time.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the vibrant, teeming bazaars of 19th and early-20th century India, a new visual language emerged in the cloth shops that had increasingly begun selling British and Indian mill-made cloth.
Glossy, brightly coloured paper labels, bearing elaborate images accompanied each bolt of cloth that arrived from Britain. These labels had many names — textile ticket, shippers’ ticket, tika, chaap, and mark. Each of these stunning chromolithographed labels served a myriad of purposes. They were legally registered trademarks, offering protection against counterfeiting; and advertisements generating brand recognition amongst buyers. The visual language of these textile labels would go on to define the very foundations of branding, advertisement and commercial image-making of that period. As artworks in their own right, these tickets were also collected, repurposed, and treasured in homes as decorative elements or even objects of worship.
Sat, 16 May - Sun, 17 May, 2026 | 10:30 am to 11:30 am (Slot 1) & 4 pm to 5 pm (Slot 2)
It’s game time at Ticket Tika Chaap! Discover the art of Indo-British textile trademarks and transport yourself to the bazaars of the 19th and 20th century through our riddles three. Are you ready to take on the challenge? Let the hunt begin!
With Tanya George
Try your hand at making your own ‘tikats’ by experimenting with colours, textures, words and typefaces. The workshop will introduce the unique elements and formats of these attractive and informative ‘labels’ that circulated in the global textile marketplace as early forms of advertisement.
Tanya George is an independent designer and researcher with a typographic practice that spans developing typefaces and identities and artworks across various Indian scripts.
Sun, 17 May, 2026 | 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
Visual Vernacular (VV) is a dynamic form of visual storytelling used in deaf culture. It involves expressive body movements and facial expressions to convey complex narratives and emotions, emphasizing dramatic and artistic elements. Unlike traditional sign language, which focuses on factual communication, VV creates vivid, engaging, and multi-dimensional stories.
The performer Soham Gaikwad will be using textile labels from MAP’s collection and perform visual storytelling using the elements present in the label. The performance will be followed by a walkthrough of the exhibition interpreted in Indian Sign Language.
Sun, 19 April | 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
Attached to bales of cloth and circulated across continents, glossy, brightly coloured printed tickets or labels were created by layering images and text over one another. Join us to explore the basics of layered printing processes and create your own unique, dynamic prints!
With STEAM Academy
Fri, 20 March, 2026 | 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
'Tickets', 'tikas' or 'chaaps' were colourful textile labels attached to bales of cloth coming from all over the world, and sent to markets from Mumbai, Manchester and as far as Vietnam. They were created using chromolithography, a revolutionary printing technique that democratised access to colour imagery at the time.
Join us for a science session with Steam Academy, to learn the science behind this innovative technique, and how printers created new designs, experimented with replication to make bold, colourful, and iconic prints that still continue to dazzle!
The Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai City Museum seeks to serve the community as an Institution dedicated to excellence in cultural education through exhibitions and unique visual and intellectual media
An Institution of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Supported by the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation. Restored by INTACH, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage
Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum
Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo (Rani Baug),
91/A, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road,
Byculla East Mumbai 400027 India
T: +91 22 23741234
10:00 am - 5:30 pm
Closed on all Wednesdays and select public holidays.
