Kanakavalli's February pick for The Beautiful Drape is a classic kanjivaram with traditional patterns and woven elements. A thoughtful interplay of colour and zari lends this sari a timeless elegance.
The body of the kanjivaram is woven with very fine South lines, composed of alternating stripes in two colours of silk. The lines are delicate, visible only when viewed up close and creating a delightful sense of geometry on the drape. The selvedge appears to extend into the borders of the sari, to the point where the border design begins, in what is known as bodikarai. The borders are composed of pillaiyar moggu, followed by seer lines in pattu (silk) and pearl-like muthu seer in zari enclosing a row of yaanai (elephant) and kamalam (lotus) motifs in zari. The pallu is attached in the benth technique, and features a shimmering gold zari band richly woven in the ettu kol technique, flanked on either side by muthu seer in zari.
The kanjivaram's beauty lies in its extraordinary simplicity, staying true to tradition while showcasing the craft's deft use of colour and technique in its exquisite detail.
The sari, available in varied beautiful colour ways, is woven with zari with a composition of 0.2-0.3% gold and 20-30% silver.