Terracotta Tussar Ghicha Silk Saree with Wine Pallu – Bhagalpuri Handloom

Mrittika

A warm terracotta body, streaked silver where the ghicha runs, scattered with small capsule butis in wine — and then a border and pallu of deep wine that stops the whole thing short. Tassels at the fringe in mustard and maroon.

About the weave

The butis are what the weavers call a capsule design: small elongated motifs, each thrown in as a few strokes of contrast yarn while the cloth is on the loom. They sit widely spaced and slightly uneven, so they read as scattered rather than as a pattern.

The terracotta is doing most of the work. Ghicha yarn carries pale striations along its length, and against a warm earth tone they read as copper and silver lines running through the cloth — closer to fired clay than to any flat dye. The wine border, solid and unbroken, is what makes the body look as alive as it does.

What it's for

Terracotta and wine is an autumn pairing, and an unusually flattering one — warm enough for a daytime function, deep enough for an evening. It sits particularly well against gold and oxidised silver.

Details

• Fabric: Tussar Ghicha Silk
• Colour: Terracotta with deep wine
• Body: Scattered capsule butis in wine
• Border: Solid wine, both sides
• Pallu: Solid wine with mustard and maroon tassel fringe
• Blouse piece: unstitched, 0.8  m
• Saree length: 5.5 m | Width: 1.1 m
• Care: Dry clean only. Store wrapped in cotton or muslin, refold along a different line every few months.

A note on handloom

Each piece is woven individually, so slight irregularities in the slub and variation in the spacing of the butis are characteristic of the craft rather than defects. The silver striation is the natural character of ghicha yarn and differs from piece to piece. Colour may vary a little from your screen.