A black semi-sheer body under one wide, decorative band of gold.

Why this piece

Black and gold, nothing else — two tones and no third colour anywhere in the piece — the most formal thing this loom makes.
Gold at its most legible — black is the ground that makes metal read clearest, which is why the border can run this wide without becoming heavy.
Flower buti — small woven figures repeating sparsely across the body and gathering through the pallu, dobby-set on the loom rather than applied to the surface.

The colourway

Black is the ground that shows a fault most clearly and carries zari best, which is why weavers here treat it as the test piece. Kept to two tones with no third colour introduced, it is the most formal saree in this group.

How it is woven

The Handloom Mark is held on record against these pieces. The loom is a pit loom, sunk into the floor so the weaver works with the treadles below. Every pick of weft goes in by hand, and a dobby sets the buti and the border on body, border and pallu alike. Nothing we sell is machine-woven, and the weaver confirms each piece off the loom.

A hand-inserted weft leaves marks of itself — the odd slub or a pick that sits a fraction differently. That is the weave telling you what it is.

The border, and how it wears

A bugdi border, so the woven border design reads the same on both faces — a craft signature you can see for yourself rather than take on trust.

It weighs 350 to 360 g at 44 to 46 GSM — weighed here rather than guessed at from the look of it. That is a saree you can wear through a long evening without feeling it on your shoulder, and the body is semi-sheer, so a petticoat goes underneath.

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 black, with a wide gold border. 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.

Black Pure Handloom Maheshwari Silk Saree, Wide Gold Border, Buta Body | Phulwari