Sareekah Agarwaal presented a paper at the 52nd National Conference of Indian Association for the Study of Conservation of Cultural Property, held in collaboration with the Directorate of Museums, Assam from 23-25 September 2025 in Guwahati, Assam. The theme of this year’s conference was Conservation of Cultural Heritage with an Emphasis on Conservation of Textiles.
The paper titled The Interplay of Narrative and Preservation in Safeguarding Commemorative Textiles: A Holistic Approach to Textile Conservation explores how families commonly store textiles, often relegated to closets or forgotten spaces, and how a lack of emotional connection can lead to unintentional neglect. It argues that by introducing personal narratives as a vital part of the preservation process, these textiles can be recontextualized as meaningful heritage objects, sparking renewed care and attention.
The study concludes with a set of essential preservation guidelines, including practical do’s and don’ts, proposing an approach that integrates both narratives and conservation practices to ensure that textile legacies remain physically intact and emotionally resonant for generations to come.