07 / The collection
Uppada
Kakinada district, Andhra Pradesh
The weave
A garden in silk. Light enough to move with air.
Bengal's jamdani tradition, reworked on the Andhra coast. Motifs are built into a fine ground as the weaving progresses.
Border, pallu and reverse
A quiet edge. A considered reverse. A small kaddi border gives a plain band of gold. The pallu may carry lines, flowers or birds. In fine Uppada jamdani, the design reads clearly on both front and back. Look closely at the reverse: the turns of the pattern yarn reveal how the motif was built.
Each motif is worked in by hand
Discontinuous supplementary weft. Short lengths of pattern yarn are interlaced with the warp while the ground cloth is woven. Traditional Uppada jamdani builds the design by hand rather than relying on a jacquard or dobby to select the motif. Cotton and silk grounds both belong to the tradition.
Rare hallmark
Months of work, held lightly. The richness is in the pattern; a fine ground carries flowers and vines without surrendering its lightness.
The motifs
The colours
Chikoo — Named for the fruit: a soft beige-brown, especially loved in Uppada.
Cream
Gold
Silver
Cream grounds let a floral jaal emerge gently. Gold and silver zari, with coloured accents, bring the garden into view.
See it in print
Uppada as it appears in the book — motifs, colours, hallmarks and fold.
Open at page 48