Bansuri Neel

Bansuri Neel — the flute in indigo.

Flutes and peacock feathers move across indigo Chanderi silk.

Repeated.

Familiar.

Placed by hand through the Dabu process.

The body carries flute and peacock feather motifs all over, with white standing clearly against the deep indigo ground.

Then the vocabulary changes at the edge.

A thin golden zari border with a band of flowers brings warmth and a second motif into the composition.

The pallu takes those flowers forward and introduces another line — a flower border with a zigzag pattern.

Flutes and feathers through the body.

Flowers at the edge.

Flowers and zigzags at the close.

The motifs are old and familiar; the indigo makes them feel new.

According to the supplied craft information, Dabu is a mud-resist hand block printing tradition of Rajasthan. A resist paste made from mud and natural binders is pressed onto the cloth with carved wooden blocks before dyeing. When the paste is washed away, the resisted pattern remains.

Every impression is placed individually by hand, block beside block, so small shifts in alignment belong naturally to the character of the cloth.

Worked in Rajasthan using the hand block print method, with a supplied making time of approximately 12–15 days.

The blouse piece is indigo Chanderi silk with a zigzag pattern, picking up the graphic detail of the pallu.

A saree with a tune in it.