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Indian brocade fabric enjoyed undisputed supremacy all over the world for over 3000 years.
Brocade weaving, especially with gold and silver, has been an age-old
tradition in India.
There are two broad classes of brocades. Silk Brocade or silk and zari brocades with gold
and silver threads both are used in brocade sari.
The most important material in brocade weaving is silk. It facilitates lovely weaves, is durable,
strong, fine and smooth.
Utsav sarees gives you brocade saris, silk brocade fabrics,
brocade
swatches with number of designs, also you can learn more about
brocade fabric and its origin. |
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REFINING SILK FOR BROCADE MAKING
:
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 (sericin) 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.
IMPORTANCE OF COLOR :
Color plays a vital part in weaving a brocade. The charm and subtle beauty of the brocade depends upon color
synchronization. Colors are surcharged with nuances of mood and poetic association in fabrics and weaving as
much as in painting.
Red - the color of love. The three tones of red evoke the three states of love.
Yellow - is the color of vasant (spring), of young blossoms, southern winds and swarms of bees.
Nila (indigo) - the color of Lord Krishna who is likened to a rain-filled cloud.
Hari nila - the color of water in which the sky is reflected.
Gerwa (saffron) - the color of the earth and of the yogi the wandering minstrel, the seer, the poet who
renounces the world.
Earlier, vegetable dyes were used during weaving. These produced fast colors, lasted for almost a generation,
and remained as beautiful and vivid as ever. Nowadays aniline dyes have gained popularity as they are cheaper,
less time-consuming and produce a larger variety of colors.
MAKING NAKSHAS (DESIGNS) ON BROCADES :
Making of nakshas (designs) forms an important part of brocade weaving. Banaras is the main center where the
nakshabandha (designer) tradition prevails. The skill and imagination of nakshabandha plays a prominent part
in making of designs. Designs are associated with legends and symbolism. The most popular motifs are drawn
from nature.
In Banaras, it is said that nakshabandha families were brought to this country during the reign of Muhammed
Tughlak (1325-1350 A.D.). They were supreme masters of the art of tying designs into the loom. Local artisans
and weavers learned this art from these great craftsmen.
Some of these craftsmen were also great poets-perhaps they wove their poetry into their designs. One such
renowned poet was Ghias-I-Naqsband, mentioned in Abul Fazl’s ‘Ain-I-Akbari’.
The nakshas are first worked on paper. This part of the work is called likhai (writing). The nakshabandha
then makes a little pattern of it in a framework of cotton threads like a graph. This pattern gives guidance
to the working of that design into weaving.
CURRENT SCENARIO :
Today brocades are still used by some for curtains, stylish sarees and upholstery. Brocaded fabric saris
and lehengas (long skirts) are still in demand for marriages, religious ceremonies and other auspicious and
social occasions. Indian brocades are also in great demand abroad and foreign designers are fashioning
garments of this material that lends itself so well to the creation of fantasies.
Looking back a hundred years, one is amazed to find that in spite of rapid industrialization, most of the
age-old centers of handloom textiles still continue to produce beautifully woven fabrics which is widely used
in pretty sarees. The main centers besides Banaras are Ahmedabad and Surat where special saris of the finest
silk, gauze and gold with lively color schemes are woven. Murshidabad in Bengal was a reputed center for kimkhab
during the 19th century. Paithan and Aurangabad are other centers of silk brocade manufacture. In the
south, Triuchirapalli and Tanjore produce a variety of kimkhabs known as gulbadan in which gold wire is used
profusely.
Brocade weaving, a craft that was on the decline, is again showing a very promising trend. Most of
the credit for this goes to the village handloom weavers, designers and dyers who, with their combined efforts,
have kept alive our tradition of weaving.
THE ONLINE :
www.utsavsarees.com online dealing with brocade saris,
silk brocade fabrics, brocade swatches with number of designs, learn more about
brocade fabric and its origin, buy brocade sarees online
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Utsavsarees.com is a shopping service provider for the large Indian community residing in USA, New York,
Los Angeles, California, Chicago, Illinois, Houston, Texas, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Phoenix, Arizona,
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