Plum Dupion Silk Saree with Zari Border and Striped Pallu – Bhagalpuri

Kokum

A deep plum body, and a pallu that breaks completely — wide bands of lemon yellow, sand, copper and plum running across it, closed with a twisted fringe. A copper zari border runs the length of both sides.

About the weave

Dupion silk is woven from double cocoons — two silkworms spinning together — which produces an irregular yarn with slubs running through it. It gives a crisp hand and a sharp, changeable lustre: it reflects rather than glows, and the slubs catch light in lines across the surface.

The pallu is woven in bands rather than printed, each stripe a different dyed yarn carried across the width. Lemon yellow against plum is an unusual choice and a confident one — the sand and copper bands between them are what keep it from shouting. A fine dark line finishes the selvedge.

What it's for

Plum carries an evening without going near bridal, and the pallu does enough that the saree needs no jewellery to speak of. It sits well under artificial light, which is when the copper zari does most of its work.

Details

• Fabric: Dupion silk
• Colour: Plum with lemon, sand and copper
• Border: Copper zari, both sides, with a fine dark selvedge
• Pallu: Wide woven bands in lemon, sand, copper and plum, with a twisted fringe
• Body: Plain plum
• Saree length: 5.5 m · Width: 1.10 m
• Blouse piece: 0.80 m, unstitched
• Package contains: 1 saree with blouse piece
• Wash care: Dry clean only

On handloom

Handloom cloth is woven entirely by hand, without electric power — a rhythm of foot and shuttle that takes years to learn and cannot be hurried. Every weaving cluster has its own way of rendering a weave, particular to its region, its yarn and its craft, which is why two handloom sarees from different districts never quite look alike.

On colour and variation

Each piece is woven individually and dyed in small batches, so slight unevenness in the slub, in the selvedge and in the depth of colour is inherent to the process rather than a defect. Colour may vary slightly from your screen.