Ikat
Pochampally Single Ikat Cotton Sari
“A handwoven Pochampalli silk sari, distinguished by its perfectly reversible design, hazy contours, and feathered edges.”
The lengthwise borders on either side depict a majestic procession of parrots and elephants, all moving in confluence, as if marching forward in harmony. The body of the sari brings this vision to life, portraying a grand assembly of parrots and elephants across a vast field, all gazing in the same direction, reinforcing the impression of a grand procession.
The use of gold zari in the borders adds an opulent touch, making them stand out brilliantly against the richly woven patterns. The pallu (end-piece) continues the narrative, featuring the same motifs, now arranged in three horizontal panels, with the figures appearing in a smaller, more intricate scale.
The vibrant colour palette adds to the royalty of the sari.
Royalty, strength, ceremonial power. Identified across the pallu panel of this object.
Open motif entryCosmic order; mathematical harmony in weave. Identified across the woven ground of this object.
Open motif entryIkat is among the most demanding of textile techniques — the resist-dye is applied not to finished cloth, but to the yarn itself, before a single thread reaches the loom. Bundles of warp (or weft, or both) are bound and dyed in successive colour baths; the pattern emerges as the loom finally aligns them. In India, three lineages dominate: the double-ikat patola of Patan in Gujarat, the bandha of Odisha, and the cotton and silk ikats of Pochampally and Puttapaka in Telangana.