COSTUMES
India: Uttar Pradesh, Banaras, Varanasi (Banaras)
Sari (woman's)
1945
Plain weave; Twill weave; Supplementary weft patterning
Cotton; Metallic thread
5 yds. 31 in. x 40 in. (5.36 x 1.02 m)
Elizabeth Bayley Willis Collection
TC 58.2-8

This sari is an example of the famed silk brocade weaving of Banaras, the spiritual center for Hinduism in India and one of the oldest cities on earth. The pallav (end piece) is woven with supplementary metallic thread consisting of finely drawn gold, silver or base metal thread wound around another thread. The buta flower motif can be found along the border. -- Label copy for Unpacking the Collection, April 13, 1997, to June 12, 1998.