Brocade making waves

Brocade weaving, a craft that was on the decline, is being revived as 
modern designs are being introduced, says Dhanvati Keshavrao

THE golden brocade of India was known the world over as kimkhab, nothing less than a dream. The name itself conjures up a sense of pure luxury which, in ornamentation, matches only the splendour of jewellery. So what is brocade really? A textile woven, almost prayer like, by the nimble fingers of the naqshband kaarigar, the master craftsman, living in the crowded and mystical lanes of Varanasi. It gets its opulence from gilded strands which are floated with pure silk threads to create a lush surface, textured with motifs that romanticise flora and fauna. The gold strand itself is pure gold melted and pulled out of successive minute holes, each one smaller than the last, until it has been stretched to the desired thinness.

On the loom, this extra weft of gold thread is run across the warp with the motifs picked up in silk threads in jewel-like colours worked in the manner of meenakaari in jewellery. The names that the craftsmen give to the designs are a reflection of the romanticism with which they work over these weavings, fit perhaps for the royal court. The names include Chandtara (the moon and the stars), Dhoopchaon (light and shadow), Morgalaa (the peacock's slender neck) and Bulbul chasm (the nightingale eyes). Sometimes silver is also used, where the background is in silver and the motifs are worked in gold and silk. This is lovingly called Ganga Jamuna— Ganga for gold and Jamuna for silver.

There are two broad classes of brocades. Brocades of pure silk or silk and cotton blends, and zari brocades with gold and silver threads. The most important material in brocade weaving is silk. Raw silk is specially treated for brocades. It is first twisted (called 'silk throwing'), after which the threads undergo reeling and checking for uniformity and roundness. When the yarn has been processed, it is bleached and ‘degummed’, as raw silk has a gum-like substance in its composition. This has to be removed in order to bring out the sheen and softness and to enable penetration of the dye. The task has to be done with great care as the fibers can weaken or get damaged. The silk is boiled in soap water for a certain duration and then sent for dying.

The main centers, besides Varanasi, are Ahmedabad and Surat, where saris of the finest silk, gauze and gold with lively colour schemes are woven. Murshidabad in Bengal was a reputed centre for kimkhab during the 19th century. Paithan and Aurangabad are other centres of brocade manufacture. In the South, Tirichirapalli and Tanjore produce a variety of kimkhabs known as Gulbadan in which gold wire is used profusely. Alaipura in Varanasi produces heavy brocades known as tissue brocades.

Asavali brocade of Gujarat, named after the old city of Ahmedabad, had rich brocaded patterns woven in twill weave, a speciality of the area. Intricately woven silken patterns were embedded into the gold surface in myriad colours and were known as meenakari, imitating the enamel work prepared on jewellery. West Bengal is renowned for its exquisite brocade sari woven from the special tusser silk. The fibers used in this sari are of fine nature, colored in dyes extracted from natural materials. This sari is light and comfortable to wear. The fabric has a matte finish with a wrinkled and creased surface, with heavy ornamental designs. The overall pattern used in the sari is the classic Bengali motif with a Mughal touch.

Brocade weaving, a craft that was on the decline, is again showing a very promising trend. In recent times modern designs in brocade making have been introduced by the famous connoisseur, Smriti Morarka. At Varanasi, Smriti has 80-100 looms for her exclusive use, and she has enough demand to keep them going the year round. — MF

HOME