Cotton and silk warp ikat textile, Andhra Pradesh (Narayanpet), mid 19th century

Silk and cotton blouse piece by the warp ikat technique.

The warp is a series of yarns extended lengthwise in a loom and crossed by the weft. Ikat is a type of weaving where the threads are tie-dyed before weaving to create designs on the finished fabric. The dyeing process begins with binding the resist areas with impermeable yarn or rubber bands. The precision of the wrapping determines the clarity of the design. After wrapping, the threads are dyed, however, the areas under the ties will remain the original colour. Numerous colours can be added after additional wrappings. When the dying process is complete, the warp threads are meticulously arranged on the loom to prepare the design. The natural movement during weaving gives ikat designs it characteristic feathered edge. Techniques with matching patterns on warp and weft are called double ikat.

8183(IS)