A matte black body under wide bands of copper, with small buti across the field.

Why this piece

Copper, not gold — the border bands read copper and brown against the black rather than yellow metal, which is what makes this piece look different from every other black.
A matte ground — the black is worked flat rather than lustrous, so the banding does all the work at the edge.
Small buti allover — the figures repeat sparsely across the whole field, dobby-set on the loom as the cloth is woven.

The colourway

Black with copper is a quieter and more modern combination than black with gold, and the matte finish of the ground is what lets it work. Wide panelled bands rather than a fine line give the drape its structure.

How it is woven

It comes off a loom in Mominpura, the weaving quarter inside Maheshwar. Woven on a pit loom with the weft inserted by hand. The buti scattered over the body and the figures in the border are dobby-set on the loom itself, on body, border and pallu.

Small irregularities in the weave come with the method — a slub, a slightly uneven pick. They are the fingerprint of a hand-inserted weft, not a fault in a finished piece.

The border, and how it wears

The border is a bugdi border: the woven border design reads the same on both faces. Turn the edge over at the fall and the figures come up the same way.

350 to 360 g of cloth at 44 to 46 GSM. It falls close to the body, takes a deep pleat and keeps it, and reads semi-sheer through the body — a petticoat is part of wearing it.

Specification

Total length: 6.3–6.5 m, including an 80–90 cm blouse piece
Width: 45–46 inches
Weight: 350–360 g, measured in-house
Fabric weight: 44–46 GSM
Body: semi-sheer; wear it with a petticoat
Drape: soft, holds its pleats, and stays soft after the first clean
Loom: pit loom, with the weft inserted by hand
Patterning: dobby-set, on body, border and pallu
Finishing: pallu kuchu, selvedge and edges finished; fall and pico on request
Woven in: Maheshwar, Khargone district, Madhya Pradesh
Country of origin: India
Net quantity: one saree with attached blouse piece
Care: Dry Clean Only

Care and storage

Professional dry clean only. Home washing is not recommended.
Air-dry in the shade, without wringing.
Iron inside out on a low-to-medium setting, under a cotton press cloth.
Store it wrapped in breathable cotton or muslin, in a cool dark cupboard.
Refold along fresh lines every three to six months.

Dispatch

This piece is held in stock rather than made to order, so hand weaving does not put you in a queue. About half of all orders leave the next day, most go within two to three days, and most orders inside India arrive in three to seven days.

A note on colour

This piece is a matte black, with wide copper-toned borders. Screens, camera settings and the light a photograph was taken in all move a shade a little, so the piece that reaches you may sit slightly away from the image on this page. Every colour in this range has been tested for fastness on wash and rub.

Product details

Country of origin: India. Net quantity: one saree with attached blouse piece. Care: Dry Clean Only.

Gentle Black Pure Handloom Maheshwari Silk Saree, Copper Panelled Borders | Sangam