Silks from India

Muga silk

This golden yellow colour silk is prerogative  of India and the pride of Assam state. It is obtained from semi-domesticated multivoltine silkworm, Antheraea assamensis. These silkworms feed on the aromatic leaves of Som and Soalu plants and are reared on trees similar to that of tasar. Muga culture is specific to the state of Assam and an integral part of the tradition and culture of that state. The muga silk, an high value product is used in products like sarees, mekhalas, chaddars, etc

Muga silk is the only silk in the world which is naturally gold. And as far as we know - it is the only fabric considered an earthly symbol of a goddess (that would be Lakshmi - the mighty goddess of prosperity). Like all great beauties, muga is not just pleasing to the eye - it is also strong. The lush gold color increases with each wash, and its fibers are much stronger than regular mulberry silk. The gold color comes from a deposit of protein on the outside of the thread.

Muga is a gift from the Indian state of Assam. Apparently, Assamese royalty kept this amazingly unique silk under wraps for centuries - common people and foreigners were not allowed to wear it.  Today it is still relatively unknown to the world, partly because it is so difficult to get. Harvested in its wild state only twice a year, muga silk is only available in one tiny valley.

Cotton and Silk Khadi:

Khadi is a handloom fabrics made by hand-spinning threads on a ‘charkha’, these threads can be cotton, silk or wool.  The fabric keeps you warm in the winter, cool in the summer and lasts for years. During their struggle for independence against Britain in the earlier part of the century, Mahatma Ghandi urged the people of India to weave and wear the fabric as a symbol of India’s self reliance.  Khadi represented a means to provide jobs for the unemployed rural population of India, andto this day most politicians in India are seen only in khadiclothing.

Mutka Silk:

Mutka is made from waste silk. The first & last part of the silk does not have the same shine as the center and is usually disposed of, typically it’s burned or thrown away in a landfill. We yarn dye the "waste silk" into two different colors, twist the two colors into one yarn and then weave it into fabric, creating a tweed-like appearance.

Batik:

Batik is an Indonesian word meaning 'wax writing.' No one is quite sure where is started but most fingers point to South Asia. What we do know is that inspiration struck more than 2000 years ago and slowly spread across he world. The ancient folks must have been crazy about the stuff: they tucked scrapes of it into Egyptian tombs, painted images of it on cave walls in India and carved temple figures swathed in it in Java and Bali.

This is how it works: first the cloth is dyed one color, then that cloth is coated with wax. When the wax cools, it cracks and creates veins of exposed cloth. The waxed handloom fabric is then dipped into or painted with another color. The area that is covered with wax 'resists' the new dye which seeps into the cracked areas. Almost any kind of cloth can be dyed this way. But the most common are cotton and silk.

Jamdani:

The origin of the word 'jamdani' is uncertain. Some say it comes from a Bengali or Urdu and translated means 'wine cup.' Like fine letterpress stationary, jamdani handloom designs are deliciously subtle. Run your fingers across the cloth and feel the raised threads that outline the design. The method of weaving is akin to tapestry work. Small shuttles of individual threads are inserted into the weft. The design is slightly raised - it appears to float above the surface of the cloth.

Jamdani is one of the world’s most ancient forms of textile handloom design. We know it was woven in West Bengal and Bangladesh since at least the 4th century - but there is evidence that it developed as early as 300 AD! It reached its zenith during the Mughal years. The Mughal rulers and other aristocrats always insisted on having clothes made with the finest jamdani cloth when they stepped out on the town. By the mid-1700s, the jamdani weavers were exporting millions of dollars worth of cloth to Europe as well.