02 / The collection

Banarasi

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

The weave

A family of weaving traditions.

Silk and zari, flowers and foliage, a rich language of pattern. Rooted in Banaras and its neighbouring districts, with Mughal and Persian influences woven into its designs.

The many grounds

Banaras works across silk, organza, georgette, tissue and tussar. The ground changes the drape; the pattern changes its character. Satin gives a smooth, lustrous surface. A single sari may bring together several kinds of weaving and ornament.

The language of weaving

KadiyalA contrasting border and body, planned through the colour arrangement of the warp.

RangkatChanges of colour across the cloth create distinctive bands and blocks.

TanchoiClosely woven coloured silk wefts create a dense figured surface, often with a satin ground.

Gold and silver

Sona rupa: gold and silver zari in the same piece. Two tones of light, held in one cloth. Ganga-Jamuna: gold and silver brought together in butidar work, named for the two rivers.

Rare hallmark

Turn the sari over. The reverse reveals how the pattern was made.

Kadhwa: each motif is woven separately, with no long pattern-weft floats connecting one motif to the next. Cutwork or phekwa: the pattern weft travels across the width, and unwanted floats are cut away, leaving small ends.

Look between the motifs. The difference lies in the threads left behind.

The motifs

Kalga and belPaisley forms and scrolling creepers, central to the Banarasi vocabulary.

KoniaA corner motif, often a paisley.

ButiA small, separate motif. Repeated across the body, it creates a butidar field.

JaalA network of flowers and vines. Jangla is known for its elaborate, all-over floral spread.

JamawarDense paisley and interlacing ornament, drawing on Kashmir's textile tradition.

ShikargahAnimals, birds and figures inhabit a woven landscape, recalling the hunting scenes of courtly art.

MeenakariColoured silk accents work alongside zari, bringing an enamel-like richness to the pattern.

The colours

Red

Maroon

Firozi

Red — A classic bridal colour.

Maroon — A deeper expression of the bridal palette.

Firozi — Turquoise, named for the stone.

The fold

The Banarasi long fold

Let the jaal read in one sweep. Fold lengthwise into a long, narrow panel and keep a continuous stretch of pattern visible.

The long format keeps the pattern connected, with fewer crosswise breaks in the visible jaal.

See it in print

Banarasi as it appears in the book — motifs, colours, hallmarks and fold.

Open at page 14

A family of weaving traditions.

The Banarasi long fold

See it in print

We hope you enjoy discoveringthe stories of warp and weft,memory and meaning.

We hope you enjoy discovering
the stories of warp and weft,
memory and meaning.