Patola silk is produced using a complex double ikat technique in Gujarat, India. The silk threads are tie-dyed in patterns before weaving, requiring generations of experience to master. Patola saris are considered auspicious and worn on important occasions like marriages. They symbolize family prosperity and tradition. The saris have distinctive characteristics like divisions into sections and use of solid threads to emphasize motifs. Their production is an intricate process involving preparation, patterning, tying, dyeing and weaving of the silk threads to create the clear, symmetrical designs that Patola saris are known for. A variety of motifs like leaves, animals, and architectural forms are used in traditional patterns named after Gujarati communities.
Patola silk is produced using a complex double ikat technique in Gujarat, India. The silk threads are tie-dyed in patterns before weaving, requiring generations of experience to master. Patola saris are considered auspicious and worn on important occasions like marriages. They symbolize family prosperity and tradition. The saris have distinctive characteristics like divisions into sections and use of solid threads to emphasize motifs. Their production is an intricate process involving preparation, patterning, tying, dyeing and weaving of the silk threads to create the clear, symmetrical designs that Patola saris are known for. A variety of motifs like leaves, animals, and architectural forms are used in traditional patterns named after Gujarati communities.
Patola silk is produced using a complex double ikat technique in Gujarat, India. The silk threads are tie-dyed in patterns before weaving, requiring generations of experience to master. Patola saris are considered auspicious and worn on important occasions like marriages. They symbolize family prosperity and tradition. The saris have distinctive characteristics like divisions into sections and use of solid threads to emphasize motifs. Their production is an intricate process involving preparation, patterning, tying, dyeing and weaving of the silk threads to create the clear, symmetrical designs that Patola saris are known for. A variety of motifs like leaves, animals, and architectural forms are used in traditional patterns named after Gujarati communities.
Patola silk is produced using a complex double ikat technique in Gujarat, India. The silk threads are tie-dyed in patterns before weaving, requiring generations of experience to master. Patola saris are considered auspicious and worn on important occasions like marriages. They symbolize family prosperity and tradition. The saris have distinctive characteristics like divisions into sections and use of solid threads to emphasize motifs. Their production is an intricate process involving preparation, patterning, tying, dyeing and weaving of the silk threads to create the clear, symmetrical designs that Patola saris are known for. A variety of motifs like leaves, animals, and architectural forms are used in traditional patterns named after Gujarati communities.
OF GUJARAT INTRODUCTION • Patola Sari of Gujarat is produced by extremely complicated technique of
double ikat in silk
•Warp and weft are patterned in sections by tie-dye technique before weaving and then woven to form clear designs •The technique is learned from generations of experience, and learning from childhood •Traditional patolu fabrics are manufactured in form of rectangular unsewn garments -saris •Usually three pieces are woven at a time SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE • Considered to be pure; patterns and colours are considered to be auspicious. • Preserved as heirlooms and occasionally lent to other family or community members • Worn by ladies taking part in marriage functions when silk is customary wear • Also used in other festive occasions • Worn by bride as wedding sari, this symbolizes their prosperity and family tradition •In Vohra community patolu is a sign of family status worn by bride’s and bridegroom’s mother CHARACTERISTIC OF PATOLA SARI • The division of rectangular ground into one central piece and two end
pieces. There are two lengthwise selvedge borders
• The central piece is divided into main field, edging and outer frame • One end piece is visible outside when sari is worn and the other one remains covered as inner Pallu. However both end pieces carry same design except that in inner Pallu there is a narrow band with simple weft ikat designs. Pallus are additionally adorned with zari threads. • The main field, frame and both end pieces are usually designed by double ikat technique. However some white/solid dyed warp and weft threads are also used in designing, to emphasize outlines of ornamental motifs. They also serve as guidelines during the weaving process. TECHNIQUE OF PRODUCTION • Places of production are Ahmedabad, Baroda, Baroach, Surat, Cambay
and Patan. • Last three are traditional centres of production. • Patola weaving continues now only in Patan (near Ahmedabad). It is practised only by two families belonging to Salvi community Manufacturing: • Raw material - Yarn comes from Mumbai. Silk yarns are obtained from Japan, China, Korea, Italy and India. • Yarn preparation- Yarn obtained in hanks, is too thin to be dyed without first treating it. Hence, 4-8 single strands are twisted together. • Still in form of hanks they are further treated in hot soda solution to remove silk-gum and whiten them. This process is called Safed Karvu in the local language •Patterning and involved calculations: Both warp and weft for the proposed design are tie dyed. According to symmetry in design sets of warp and weft are made accordingly for tie dye. Each section is treated similarly to obtain the necessary design in warp as well as weft direction. • Preparation of warp and weft for tying and dyeing: 1. Preparation of Warp: Warping is carried over pegs protruding horizontally from wall. Warping is done for three saris together. Group of 12 threads are warped simultaneously. •After completion of warping, the warp threads are formed into groups of 5- 12 threads by placing strings between these. From now on this group of 5-12 threads is treated as a unit. These units create design of ikat parts in fabric. • All the sets that are to produce same motif crosswise on fabric are then taken into one group. •Three lengths of saris are folded in such a manner that they lie on top of each other. Warp is again folded into cross-half. Thus 6 layers will be achieved where all sets for same design lie exactly on top of each other. • Throughout tying, care is taken that threads are not disarranged or mixed up. 2. Weft yarn preparation: They are also prepared in similar manner. An instrument is used which consists of a beam into which wooden peg and iron rod are fixed. The rod and wooden peg are not fixed and can be adjusted to new positions depending on width of required cloth to be woven • Same as warp, sets meant for same design are created are treated together • Weft for only one sari is prepared at a time. • After completion of winding, weft yarns are taken off from the frame • Tying of Warp and Weft: The designs are marked on stretched warps (by means of rods fixed on both sides in workshop). Ground charcoal mixed with water is used for markings. •Dampened cotton yarn is used for tying the design sections. Experienced weaver and their wives tie designs straight away from memory and rarely refer to graph pattern. Person who ties them to resist portions from first shade is known as pattibandha. • Dyeing: For dyeing yarn is removed from frame. However it has to be returned back to frame in order to remove old ties or make new ones. • Patolu yarn is first dyed in red colour. All portions to be meant white and yellow resisted. • Next dyed in yellow or orange and finally in blue or black. Through double dyeing green and violet colours are obtained. Weaving • After tie dye, the warp yarns are stretched out and all the sets are rearranged in the correct sequence. • The warp is starched and drawn on to the loom for weaving. • A simple horizontal handloom is used for patolu weaving. • The weft is placed in the shuttle, which is a hollow piece of bamboo open at one end, with a small stalk of millet as a bobbin. • Patolu fabrics are always woven in plain weave. • Two persons work side by side for the weaving process to ensure accurate interlacement of warp and weft. • The woven patolu fabric is rubbed with a steel plate to remove the starch. • The fabric is removed from the loom, cut into saris which are folded and put on sale. MOTIFS AND PATTERNS • Patola have a very well defined vocabulary of motifs and patterns.
Different combinations of motifs are referred to by specific names and are
worn by specific communities. •The various categories of motifs are as follows: ✓ Leaf forms ✓ Geometric and abstract patterns- crosses, angles, triangles, lozenges, zig-zag, wave bands, diagonal trellises ✓ Animal and human forms- parrot, peacock, elephant, elephants with canopies, tiger, lion, female dancers, horsemen, camels with riders, men smoking pipes, ✓Flowers in form of stars ✓Floral plants- creepers, leaf and flower forms ✓Architectural plants ✓Various combinations of motifs (patterns) found in the field of patolu are: ✓Nari-kunjar Bhat - used by Mahajans of Hindu and Jain Community ✓Pan Bhat – used by Mahajans of Hindu and Jain Community ✓Ratan Chok Bhat - used by Mahajans of Hindu and Jain Community ✓Fulvadi Bhat – Appear mainly in export fabrics ✓Wagh Kunjar Bhat ✓Chhabadi Bhat – specially used by Brahmins of Surat and also exported to Indonesia ✓Chowkhadi bhat- a diaper with double outline floral design ✓Ras bhat ✓Vohra gaji bhat- named after Vohra Muslim community who use them. The main field consists of architectural forms Nari-kunjar bhat- dancing girl, elephant, parrot design. Often other birds, trees and human figures are added ✓Pan bhat- leaf design represents sacred pipal leaves ✓Ratan chok bhat- cross or diamond design, jewel square design ✓Phulvadi bhat- floral field design ✓Wagh kunjar bhat- tiger and elephant design ✓Chhabadi design- basket design
