Woven Souls
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This double Ikat from Patan, Gujarat, India
is the queen of all ikats.
The most admired and emulated of all this ikat,
requires precision to match the weft ikat & the warp ikat
to produce the design that is all over the field.
It takes upto 4 months just
to prepare the tie- dyed design on warps and weft threads
for one sari. The subsequent weaving takes another 4 months.
These saris are worn as Bridal saris by the Gujarati community.
Only a few families remain engaged in this weaving
as younger generations opt out of the traditional family occupation.
The'salvi' families that weave these saris, are settled and financially well off
- this is not usually the case with other Indian weavers.
The minimum price of a new sari today is about Rs.150,000 = approx USD 3000
The variety and number of motifs in a sari determines the amount of
craftsman hours needed to dye the wefts & warps
and thus determines the price of the sari.
This piece is a quarter of a sari, with a raw silk backing that has been added for protection.
This very fragile piece, acquired from the Salvi weaving family in Baroda
was part of their family heriloom and is said to be over 200 years old.
This is one of the top pieces in the wovensouls collection.
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