A ruby red drape carrying gold zari bands of varying width down both borders.

Why this piece

One colour, held — no contrast panel and no colour block — a single ruby red carried the full length, which is the hardest thing to weave evenly and the easiest to wear.
Parallel zari bands — the borders run as parallel gold bands of different widths, with fine horizontal detailing between them.
Dobby-set buta body — small buti repeat all over the body, sparse enough to read as texture rather than as pattern.

The colourway

Ruby red here carries a pink cast rather than a brown one, so it reads bright in daylight and deep under indoor light instead of going dull. Against it the gold bands of the border stay legible from across a room, which a busier ground would swallow.

How it is woven

The Handloom Mark is held on record against these pieces. Pit-loom weaving, with the weft put in by hand pick after pick. The small buti and the border figures are dobby-set rather than applied afterwards, which is why the pattern sits in the cloth rather than on it. The Handloom Mark is held on record for these pieces.

Where the weave runs a little uneven, that is the hand at the loom rather than a defect. Every piece still goes through a pre-dispatch check before it is packed.

The border, and how it wears

This is a bugdi border, which means the woven border design reads the same on both faces — something you can check with your own hands when the piece arrives.

At 350 to 360 g and 44 to 46 GSM, this is a featherlight drape rather than a heavy one. It pleats deeply and holds the pleats, and it does not stiffen or go slack after the first clean. The body is semi-sheer and wants a petticoat under 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 ruby red the whole length, bordered in gold zari. 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.

Ruby Red Pure Handloom Maheshwari Silk Saree, Buta Body with Gold Zari Bands | Jugnu