Ivory and Golden Tibetan Handloom Floral Brocade
Dry clean only. Store folded in a soft muslin pouch away from direct sunlight to keep the sheen alive.
Description
Pure Silk Handloom Brocade<br>Artist: Kasim Family of Varanasi. 23 Inches Wide
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Behind this piece
Brocade weaving in Varanasi carries a lineage older than most living traditions, and within that lineage, the Kasim family holds a quiet distinction. Their looms draw on the Tibetan floral vocabulary, a cross-cultural grammar of chrysanthemums, lotus forms, and geometric bloom patterns that arrived through trade routes connecting the Himalayan plateau to the Gangetic plains. This ivory and golden silk cloth is woven on a handloom, where each figured motif is lifted by hand into the weft. The result is not merely fabric; it is a slow, accumulated argument for the irreplaceable quality of made-by-hand.
How to style
Construct an angarakha silhouette in this fabric and wear it to a late-winter wedding with kolhapuri heels in tan leather. For a quieter occasion, a straight-cut kurta paired with ivory churidar trousers and oxidised silver jhumkas keeps the cloth as the sole point of conversation. The ivory ground also lends itself beautifully to a structured blouse beneath a Benarasi or Chanderi saree in deep jewel tones, gold and sapphire particularly. Keep accessories restrained: the brocade's own gold-woven ground is ornament enough, and piling on will only compete with the weave.
Fabric & care
Pure silk brocade demands the care one gives to something irreplaceable. Dry-clean for best results; if hand-washing is unavoidable, use cool water and a very small measure of pH-neutral soap, never wringing or twisting the cloth. Lay flat on a clean cotton towel to dry, well away from direct sunlight, which yellows silk irreversibly. Store folded in a single layer of unbleached muslin, never polythene, allowing the fibre to breathe. Refold along different lines every few months to prevent permanent creasing. Treated with this attention, the cloth will outlast the occasion it was made for.
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