03 / The collection
Paithani
Paithan and Yeola, Maharashtra
The weave
Silk, coloured wefts and luminous zari.
Named for Paithan, and woven today in Paithan and Yeola, Maharashtra. A tapestry of birds and flowering vines, built into the border and pallu one small colour area at a time.
The border and the pallu
Tapestry weaving. Each coloured weft works within its own part of the motif, interlocking with its neighbour where the colour changes. Kadiyal joins a contrasting border to the body on the loom. Two fields of colour, meeting in one cloth.
Rare hallmark
Turn the pallu over. The tapestry design reads on both faces, without long coloured floats across the back.
Fold a corner back and look at them together.
The motifs
The colours
Kalichandrakala — Black with a red border.
Shirodak — Pure white.
Raghu — Parrot green.
Pophali — Yellow.
Morpankhi — Peacock blue-green.
Motiya — Peach pink.
Kusumbi — Red violet.
Colour carries its own vocabulary. Even black and white have named identities.
See it in print
Paithani as it appears in the book — motifs, colours, hallmarks and fold.
Open at page 23