Silk and cotton ikat-woven blouse piece, Andhra Pradesh (Narayanpet), mid 19th century

Striped blouse piece in silk and cotton with ikat patterning

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, but the areas under the ties retain their original colour. Numerous colours can be added after additional wrappings. When the dyeing process is complete, the warp threads are meticulously arranged on the loom to prepare the design. The natural movement during weaving gives ikat designs their characteristic feathered edge. Techniques with matching patterns on warp and weft are called double ikat.

4832(IS)