Indian Art & Craft : Sarees and Fabrics from various states - 18

The Coromandel Coast of India was historically the source of some of the most beautifully coloured and delicately worked cooton fabrics. Here mordants, resists and brushes or pens were traditionally applied and used to produce exquisite figurative and floral designs. This Kalamkari cloth of south-east India had been known as "pintado" by the Portuguese and "Chintz" by the English. Around the mid nineteenth century, printing blocks were introduced and from then on very little freehand kalam (pen) drawing was done. Baluchari materials essentially have a silk base with silk brocaded designs. In spite of a rich composition, The Baluchari sarees have large floral motifs interspersed with flowering shrubs. Traditionally, the Muslim community was known to produce Baluchars with figured patterns depicting court scenes, rider on a horse, women smoking hookahs and much more. These textiles were developed mainly in Murshidabad in West Bengal. Brocades or the kinkhabs have a long history dating back to several centruies. Varanasi or Banaras is the undisputed centre of India's zari-figured silk weaving (brocade) industry. Other well-known brocades are Baftas, Potthans, Kimkhabs, Amrus and Tanchois. Kanchipuram - the silk brocade sarees of south India are considered very auspicious and are worn on ceremonial occasions. Today, brocades have a very strong mass market. Due to the glitter and beauty of this textile, its appeal is increasing not only in the field of garments but also in accessories like purses, belts, caps, shoes and cushions. Guys, take a look at below slide show for various Indian Sarees.

Ikat is a type of weaving where the warp, weft or both are tie-dyed before weaving to create designs on the finished fabric. Ikat fabrics of Gujarat, whcih involve a seqeuntial binding of sections of yarns, are well known. Patola, which is also called double ikat, comes from Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Gujarat. Ikat textiles of India have the distinction of being among the most highly priced textiles in the world. Worn during marriages, they are also used as coverings for royal elephants and horses or as hangings in temples and for the adornment of deities. The designs that predominate in Patola textiles are gemoetric, floral and figurative motifs,. Bright colours like green , yellow, red and black are commonly used. A saree length takes two men seven months to complete.

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03. Indian Art and Craft : India the home of Painting - 3
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05. Indian Art and Craft : Floor Designs and Madhubani Paintings - 5
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15. Indian Art and Craft : Carpets and Textiles of India (Indian History of Carpets) - 15
16. Indian Art and Craft : Carpets from Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan - 16
17. Indian Art & Craft : Sarees and Fabrics - 17