BEAUTIFUL DRAPE : August Edition

Kanakavalli's August pick for The Beautiful Drape is an exquisite kanjivaram handwoven by an extraordinarily skilled weaver from Kanchipuram.

The body of the sari is dotted with silver and gold pavun pet motifs, circular buttis inspired by the shape of gold coins. The borders are embellished with traditional benaras twill patterns in rich gold zari, while the pallu also has a large benaras twill band, flanked by bands in zari. Instead of a traditional two-pedal loom, this entire kanjivaram is woven on a four-pedal loom in the ettu kol set-up -- a complex technique that requires a weaver with great skill and experience. In the ettu kol weave, the base fabric of the sari is woven in one colour, while the motifs or patterns are overlaid upon it, so the zari or coloured yarn is not visible on the reverse side of the drape.

The beauty of this kanjivaram lies not only in its elegant simplicity, but in the rich depth of its embellishments. Available in multiple colourways, from pastels to rich jewel tones, this sari features zari with a composition of 0.3% gold and 25% silver.