Craft of Brocade

 

 

Brocade is an important craft since olden times. Brocades weaving in gold and silver is very popular In India. Silk is the prime raw material for brocade. It helps in turning out a durable, and fine weave with gold and silver threads. There are different varieties of silk which are used for Brocade like Tanduri, Banaka and Mukta.

Silk is first twisted and it undergoes the process of reeling and checking for uniformity and roundness. After that it is bleached and "degummed. Later, silk is boiled in a soap water and sent for dying.

Colors play an important role in weaving brocade. The basic colors, which are used, are red, yellow, indigo, saffron and the color of water in which the sky is reflected.

Traditional vegetable dyes have been replaced with aniline colors, which are cheaper and produce a large variety of colors.

Designs and motifs are integral to Brocades. Generally, motifs are drawn from the nature.

The main centers of Brocades are Benaras, Ahmedabad, Surat, Paithan and Aurangabad.

Brocade saris and lehangas are worn with great enthusiasm by the ladies on marriage occasions all across India.