Textiles

 Jamdani

Jamdani is a fine muslin fabric handwoven using cotton or silk. The weaving uses the supplementary weft technique, which involves producing artistic motifs using weft. Unlike other forms of designing, the desired patterns are not sketched onto the fabric. It is instead drawn on graph paper and then used under the fabric as a guide.  The end result is extremely light, almost feeling weightless to the skin. The Jamdani weaving is a symbol of identity, dignity and pride that Jamdani weavers take, in their heritage and culture.

 

Ikat

Believed by some to have originated in either India or Indonesia, the ancient art of Ikat dyeing and weaving was once used to symbolize wealth and prestige. 

Ikat is not just a print or pattern, it is a dyeing technique. Unlike other textiles, Ikat involves an intricate manufacturing process wherein the yarn is first dyed and then woven on the handloom. The process is so tedious and painstaking that Ikat has been termed as ‘Poetry of the Loom’.Ikat fabric has an intentional bleed and blurry lines, which is its key identification factor.

Block Prints

For India, block prints hold a place of pride—the age-old craft of dying and coloring a fabric using wooden blocks has been perfected over generations. Whether it is Rajasthan's popular Dabu print, which uses the mud printing technique, or Gujarat's Ajrakh, featuring geometric motifs, each block print is symbolic of the country's vast heritage and rich culture.