As a resist-dyeing technique, Ikat shares a history with similar techniques across the world such as Mengikat (Malaysia), Kasuri (Japan), Mudmee (Thailand) and Flame-weaving (Germany).
Though Gujarat is considered the heartland of Ikat, regional variants developed independently across cultures – Sambalpuri in Odisha, Pochampalli in Andhra and Tiruchapalli in Tamil Nadu.
A combination of techniques known as Mashru Ikat was developed in Gujarat. Mashru arrived in Gujarat through trade with Central Asia. In Mashru, yarn is woven and manipulated to create two distinct ‘faces’ for a fabric, each ‘face’ hosting a higher density of fibers corresponding to a single type. The warp-faced satin of Mashru increases the clarity of Ikat patterns. Patterns from Ikat were recreated on Mashru fabric, in characteristic bold stripes and dotted patterns.
In the Indian subcontinent, Mashru Ikat from the Deccan region has been referenced as early as 200 years before the Common Era. Historically, Mashru Ikat was used for garments like skirts, bodices, and trousers. It also found uses in furnishing as lining for curtains, floor spreads and canopies. Horse covers and torans, too, utilized Mashru Ikat. Production of Mashru Ikat had all but ceased in the modern era.
Textile conservator and restorer, Suraiya Hassan Bose was instrumental in reviving Mashru and Himroo in India. Suraiya developed swatches using the technique at her home, with a couple of looms. Her samples for these techniques served as our references and informed our designs.
The patterns of Ikat are created before the yarn is woven.
With mathematical precision, threads of yarn are bound and dipped in dye to create resist-dyed patterns that eventually emerge on the loom. As a result, both sides of the textile display the pattern, with characteristic ‘blurred’ edges. The quality of an Ikat fabric can be determined by examining the ‘blur’. A finely blended ‘blur’ can only be achieved by highly skilled weavers using fine threads of yarn.
Predominantly, it is the warp yarn that is resist-dyed but Ikats have also been achieved by dyeing the weft, and combining dyed warps with dyed wefts (double Ikat).
The weaving tradition and production of Mashru Ikat had long ceased when Raw Mango first approached the craft. Raw Mango’s interventions, based on swatches from Suraiya Hassan Bose, helped revive the craft.
Traditionally woven on narrow 28” looms, Raw Mango explored iterations on Mashru Ikat on looms as wide as 45”. This enabled us to weave 45” wide saris, a first for the technique. Raw Mango introduced the intentional use of Kantha stitches in Mashru Ikat, adding a layer of texture to make each pattern more prominent.
The visual vocabulary of the craft was reimagined by the brand in modern silhouettes and minimal colors. Drawing inspiration from Telia Rumal Ikat and Patola saris, we created a precise geometric design language.
