Silk Sarees of Tamil Nadu

Silk Sarees of Tamil Nadu takes the reader on a journey from silkworm to the pattu pudavai (silk saree) of Tamil Nadu. From yarn and dye, to designer and weaver, the book is an expression of the author’s love of this noble art of silk weaving Tamil Nadu.

Her fascination with the designs as being expressive of the Tamil Psyche and spiritual ethos is expressed in a comprehensive manner with an awareness of their enduring beauty. The designs are deep and meaningful, not just decorative. And they speak through the woven fabric. Nothing is but has a bhava, an inherent emotion, which, to those who will see it, invokes a response, a rasa, an answering emotion, and therein art exits. And it seemed sad that this experience has not been explored enough… The rich spirituality of the designs can enrich all of us. This fascination with the meaningfulness of us… This fascination with the meaningfulness of the design in Tamil Nadu, some of which are, of course, pan-Indian, was the grain of sand that irritated the writer’s oyster. Without affection, this book is an expression of that appreciation.

The sericulturist, the silk yarn spinner and reeler, the dyer, the artist-designer and the weaver, all come together to create the hand-woven silk saree, and each is given his regard and due in the book.

Students of Indian textiles, seekers of meaningfulness in art, wearers of sarees, lovers of Tamil Culture, and general readers who look to read about traditional art and informative sides in journal entries, will all find something of relevance to them in the silk Sarees of Tamil Nadu.

Contents:
Preface. Introduction. 1. Masters of the loom: weaving communities of Tamil Nadu. 2. The Yarn: The silk of warp and weft. 3. Nature’s Palette: the dyes. 4. Expressions of love: symbolism of the traditional designs in Tamil Nadu. 5. Translating the designs: from artist to loom. 6. From yarn to Saree: the creation of a hand-woven wilk saree. 7. The Pattu Pudavai of Tamil Nadu. 8. The noble Kanchipuram: the pride of Tamil Nadu.Glossary. Glossary of Tamil terms. Bibliography. Acknowledgements. Index.