Royal-Blue Brocade Fabric with Five Woven Flowers
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>Weaver Kasim Family of Banaras. 23 Inches Wide
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Behind this piece
Banaras has woven silk for over two thousand years, and its brocade tradition carries the memory of Mughal courts within every thread. This fabric emerges from the Kasim family's loom in Varanasi, where the technique of kinkhwab weaving integrates supplementary silk wefts to raise motifs above the ground cloth. Here, five flowers bloom across a deep royal-blue field, each petal built not by brush but by shuttle. The meenakari-influenced patterning recalls the jewelled inlay work of old Banaras, translated into textile form by hands that have practised this grammar of ornament across generations.
How to style
Cut this brocade into a structured blouse for a Kanjivaram or Benarasi silk saree in ivory or deep burgundy; the five-flower repeat will frame the neckline with quiet grandeur at a wedding or festive gathering. Alternatively, have a tailor fashion a short anarkali jacket to wear over wide-leg trousers for a curated festive brunch. For a third direction, a brocade clutch stitched from a remnant piece pairs with a plain chiffon ensemble. Complement all three looks with uncut polki or kundan jewellery in yellow gold, and pointed juttis in matching royal blue.
Fabric & care
Pure silk brocade requires a dry-clean as the first preference, since the supplementary weft threads that form the raised flowers are vulnerable to agitation and heat. If hand-washing is unavoidable, use cool water below thirty degrees Celsius with a mild, pH-neutral cleanser, and do not wring or twist the cloth. Lay flat on a clean cotton towel to dry, away from direct sunlight, which fades both the blue ground and the woven motifs over time. Store folded in fine muslin, not plastic, and refold along different lines every few months to prevent permanent crease marks at the weft intersections.
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