BAVAAN BUTI
Text courtesy of Brinda Gill
Veena Upadhyay, Founder, Srijani Foundation, Patna, Bihar state, India, speaks of the efforts of revival and promotion of Bavaan Buti textiles through Bun.Kar Bihar, the foundation’s brand.
Please introduce us to the craft and textile heritage of Bihar
From ancient times till India’s independence Bihar was renowned for being a centre of power; for its rich culture manifest in architecture, arts and crafts; and as a centre of learning. The state is a mine of artworks. There are several traditional crafts -from Mithila painting to papier-mâché, stone carving, sikki grass weaving, wooden toys, wood furniture work, textiles and more.
The traditional textile techniques in the state span sujani embroidery done with running stitch; appliqué; khatua (a form of cutwork where a fabric is stitched below the main fabric and a pattern is cut out of the main/top fabric to expose the lower fabric which becomes the accent piece); and handloom weaving. Among the weaves, the Bavaan Buti sari is unique and has inspired expression in a range of woven textiles.
Image: Process of Pre loom and Weaving. Image above: Extra Weft Baavanbuti Sarees.
Please tell us about the Bavaan Buti sari
The Baavan Buti sari is meticulously hand-woven on frame and pit looms. As its name suggests it has bavaan that means 52, butis -that means small motifs. These motifs are woven by the arduous extra weft technique. The size selected of the buti (motif) depends on the design and placement, however, the size is the same throughout the textile. There is no hard and fast rule about their size and placement, it depends on the design. The number 52 for the number of repeats of the motif and extra weft technique are constant.
The extra weft technique of weaving the Bavaan Buti motifs is distinct to the extra weft techniques practised in other regions of India/neighbouring regions of Bihar such as the jamdani weaves in West Bengal (that is the neighbouring state to the east of Bihar which is a different technique) and the extra weft technique in Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh states (to the southwest of Bihar) where it is done by the jala technique.
For the Bavaan Buti weave, the technique is very labour intensive as each motif is created by inserting an extra weft by hand in the standard weft that holds the warp together. The weaver follows the motif drawn on a graph paper. It is a perfect coordination of eye and hand movement that creates a flawless piece of craftsmanship.
Image: Extra Weft Baavanbuti Sarees.
Where is the Bavaan Buti woven?
The Bavaan Buti saris have traditionally been woven in south-central Bihar that is places in Nalanda and Gaya districts. These places are also the cradle of Buddhism which has influenced some of the motifs used to embellish these saris. Srijani Foundation, based in Patna-the capital of Bihar, is presently working with about 300 artisans (hand-spinners, weavers and embroidery artisans) in four districts (Patna, Nalanda, Samastipur and Siwan) of the state, and retails textile products under its brand Bun.Kar Bihar. About 90% of our work is focused on reviving and promoting the Bavaan Buti weave as we felt it is something we had to promote and take forward. It was an endangered craft and we worked very hard to not let it slip away.
Image: Process of Pre loom and Weaving.
Please describe the design of a typical Bavaan Buti sari
We typically design a weave of seven metres length and 46 inches width. This comprises a sari of six metres (which is draped) and a one metre piece to be used for a stitching a blouse to match the sari. Sometimes the blouse is a running piece along with the sari with motifs of the same colour and size. Sometimes the blouse piece may have a smaller version of the motifs that are on the sari or it may have stripes or be plain.
One motif recurs 52 times on the sari. Typically, a cluster of motifs is woven in the pallu (or end panel) of the sari, and there are motifs along the lower and upper borders along the length of the sari. For this, the size of the motif and its placement within the length and width of the sari has to be worked out perfectly before weaving commences. It is a challenge.
Image: A sari with appliqué and sujni motifs.
What is the origin of the sari and the specific number of motifs.
Since 2008 when I have been working in this field, and more specifically since 2016, when we received a Tata Trust grant. I have interacted with many older weavers, who hail from families of weavers. They have mentioned that Bavaan Buti sari dates back to about three-four hundred years. However, they do not know of any symbolism for the sari having 52 motifs and there is no documentation related to the same. Some people have linked it to beliefs related to the Hindu deity Vishnu. In past centuries, saris were of 5.10 metres length. One thought is that perhaps a weaver once happened to weave 52 motifs on this sari length, it looked beautiful and the design stayed on with the sari taking the name from the number of motifs
Does the Bavaan Buti sari have a special place in local culture?
In the olden times, it was considered necessary to exchange and gift Bavaan Buti saris. So whenever there was a festive occasion or a wedding, people often said “whatever you bring or do not, ensure that there is a Bavaan Buti sari”. We do not know why these saris were regarded as auspicious. There is no documentation. Perhaps it was their beauty, their motifs and the skill required to weave them that made them special. And that they were initially gifted at happy occasions perhaps made them synonymous with auspicious occasions, and thus, over time, they came to be regarded as auspicious gifts and a good omen.
This practice was prevalent for long. After about the 1980s, the loss of patronage, government apathy, the ravages of time, and closure of the Bihar State Handloom Corporation in 2001 (that had provided huge support to the weavers) affected the weavers adversely. This gradually pushed this exquisite craft to be buried in archives and the weavers migrated to other vocations and other states in search for livelihood.
Who were the earlier patrons of Bavaan Buti saris?
Bavaan Buti saris were patronized by the royal families and zamindar families (land holding). An elderly weaver once mentioned that in the old days weaving Bavaan Buti saris brought them adequate income to take care of all their expenses. He said often in front of the homes of master weavers there would be a crowd of people from royal families and zamindar families with orders or samples with a motif or a particular colour of a motif (that they may have seen on another textile) to recreate on a Bavaan Buti sari.
Which motifs are woven on the Bavaan Buti?
Traditionally weavers created motifs -drawn from their environment, the flora and fauna around them, socio-economic leanings of the age and what they see around them. Thus, Bavaan Butis, woven in about the late 18th century, had motifs of the pointed gourd, cowrie shell, flower, peacock and betel leaf. The betel leaf motif stemmed from the custom of offering guests a betel leaf when they were leaving; guests would be welcomed with water and jaggery.
This body of motifs was woven till about the mid-20th century when the demand for Bavaan Buti saris started declining due to various reasons such as lighter cotton saris being produced by power mills and the production of polyester saris at a much lesser price.
At that time Upendra Maharathi, a legendary artist -from Odisha and a follower of Rabindranath Tagore- who worked in several mediums came to Bihar. He initiated great advancement in all crafts. He brought in about 200 new motifs for Bavaan Buti such as– a boy, ox, lotus flower, ducks, tree of life and very many that are not remembered, of which there are no samples left. He guided the weavers to weave neater motifs.
Upendraji also guided the weavers to work on softer home furnishings - bedcovers, table covers, and curtain fabrics- in the Bavaan Buti technique. Many weavers trained under him and that is how new and improved motifs started getting woven, and thus soft furnishings took on the Bavaan Buti expression. .
More recently, Bun.Kar Bihar collaborated with designers Richard Pandav and Amit Vijaya of the label Amrich to expand the Bavaan Buti motif vocabulary. Richard and Amit travelled through the Bavaan Buti weaving belt, interacted with weavers, observed local culture and natural life, visited monuments. They went on to design about 300 motifs related to local culture Many of these motifs are free floating and multi-directional, so can be placed anywhere.
Image: Silk Stoles embellished with Sujni Embroidery.
Please tell us about the work of Bun.Kar Bihar
Bun.kar Bihar works with Bavaan Buti weavers as well as artisans working on sujani embroidery, applique and khatua. Our focus is Bavaan Buti. The name of our brand Bun.Kar derives from the Hindi word bunkar that means weaver. When we started in 2016 we met with the last of the Baavan Buti weavers, and have since worked diligently to restore, revitalize and promote this legendary craft of Bihar. The weavers weave with fine cotton and silk yarns that is a huge step forward from the coarse cotton yarns used for weaving Bavaan Butis earlier.
Please tell us the changes Bun.Kar Bihar has brought about
Bun.Kar Bihar has brought about changes in the yarns, motifs and look of the Bavaan Buti saris, and expanded the range of textiles to include stoles, home furnishings and yardage. We guided weavers to transition from polyester-based mixed silk to mulberry and thigh-spun tussar (an indigenous silk) silk yarns, and coarse cotton yarns to finer cotton yarns.
The weavers, especially in Nepura were used to weaving with kela-resham yarns. These yarns were from an artificial fibre which has a significant polyester content. We gradually led them to weave with mulberry yarns in the warp for silk saris, and thigh-spun or reeled tussar yarn in the weft. Some weavers who were very skilled started weaving with reeled tussar in the warp and weft to weave pure tussar silk saris. All our silk saris are thigh-spun tussar in the warp and weft, or mulberry in the warp and tussar in the weft. We also weave silk yardage. For this usually we use mulberry or tussar yarn in the warp with hand-spun cotton in the weft.
One of the biggest contributions of Bun.Kar Bihar was to bring back the hand-spun cotton yarns for weaving in yardages and in a small way in saris, because hand-spun yarn on the kisan charkha (a portable wooden spinning wheel) requires a lot of skill to use in the warp. It has been very challenging. The yardage is of cotton yarn that is hand-spun on the kisan charkha. There are only two weavers who have been willing to use our hand-spun yarns, dyed with natural dyes, in the warp and weft. The saris have warp and weft of cotton natural-dyed yarns that have been hand-spun on the kisan charkha. Using hand-spun yarn gives the fabric a wonderful texture which is truly unique. We also weave cotton saris with 2/100 cotton mill yarn in the warp and weft.
We have done three collections with hand-spun cotton yarns that were dyed with vegetable dyes, and we are presently working on the fourth collection. These saris weigh about a kilo, and the fabric gets softer and lighter over time as it is worn. When using synthetic dyes, we use azo-free dyes.
Image: Bun.kar Bihar Story. A Wall Narrative.
We revived old motifs and expanded the motif vocabulary. Amit and Richard have built a wonderful design library of contemporary motifs. These are geometrical and floral, and are inspired from the Buddhist and Jain architecture in the region. We use these to come up with new designs in new collections. The combination of the colour, design and placement of the motifs along with the quality of the yarns gives the Bavaan Buti saris of Bun.Kar Bihar a distinct contemporary appeal.
Some the motifs have a very minimalist placement. Some of these saris have a sprinkling of motifs along the borders including the end-panel borders and not on the body of the end-panel. The colours of some saris are soft and subtle. Some saris are festive in terms of motifs and colours such as a sari that has floral garlands/wreaths go up to 2.5 metres in a lovely golden yellow and olive colour.
Some saris have a dense placement of all 52 motifs on the end-panel making them statement saris. They all are classically beautiful! The idea of these designer saris is also to introduce Bavaan Buti saris to younger generation of customers/wearers.
Bun.Kar Bihar has used the motifs and extra weft weaving technique of the Bavaan Buti to create yardage, stoles, drapes and home furnishings. Customers are using the yardage to stitch garments and some are even using it for saris! The aim of adding these was to expand the product utility and customer base.
On close viewing, a woven Bavaan Buti motif looks like cross stitch embroidery. It also has so much similarity with its embroidery cousin sujani of Bihar, which has a GI tag. I also initiated and launched a sari collection which was Bavaan Buti in sujani embroidery, as I was entranced by the similarity between the two. We are hoping the Bavaan Buti sari receives a GI tag as it truly is a unique textile expression.
How do you collaborate with the weavers?
We provide weavers with the yarns, the design with all details of motifs and stripes (if any), their placement and colours to be used. Payment is made by bank transfer. We started with a couple of weavers and trained them on the loom. It has been a slow and steady process.
Most of the weavers already had looms; we provided some weavers new frame looms in 2017.
We have cluster office/offices with a stock room to monitor the work. Our senior technical manager/managers stay there. The yarn is sent to the weavers from there. Once they start warping and weaving, the work is under the supervision and control of our team. We check colours when we work on a new motif. The sampling happens on the loom. I see the samples on my WhatsApp and that is how Amit and Richard earlier - and now I- okay the work. Initially we gave the weavers smaller pieces like stoles, yardages, and cushion pieces. Once they were comfortable they moved on to weave Bavaan Buti saris.
Image: Process of hand Spinning of cotton yarn.
Our first order was for 300 saris from Taneira, an ethnic-wear brand from Titan Company Limited, part of the Tata Group, in 2018, Amit and Richard were very sensitive in understanding the demands of an eclectic market and the efforts needed to re-skill and up-skill the weavers. In 2018, they created minimalist designs of stripes with artistically placed motifs. The weavers could follow the designs and this put them at ease. The motifs were placed only in the pallu/end panel of the sari with stripes in the skirt of the sari. In 2020 Amit and Richard developed the design further through more intricate motifs and placement; these were finer, more intricate motifs, which required mastery over the skill of weaving extra weft. In 2021 and 2022 the motifs were even more intricate, covering a wider expanse of the saris. This is how Richard and Amit took the weavers through the process without pressure and graduated them through a three-tiered process of understanding design.
The weavers are very aware of quality now – right from keeping the loom clean to weaving neat motifs and ensuring their correct placement and orientation. Other weavers observed our processes and commitment to the textile and weavers and gradually joined us. We created a beautiful Bavaan Buti wall panel, of a construction of hand-spun cotton yarn, thigh-spun tussar yarn and a small amount of 2/100 mill yarn, for Sutr Santati: Then. Now. Next , an exhibition of specially commissioned Indian textiles held India and at Melbourne Museum (May- September 2023). We are truly happy to have contributed to the preservation and evolution of the Bavaan Buti of Bihar.
Find out more:
srijanifoundation.com
@bun.karbihar
Images Courtesy of Bun.Kar Bihar
Veena Upadhyay, Founder, Srijani Foundation, Patna, Bihar state, India, speaks of the efforts of revival and promotion of Bavaan Buti textiles through Bun.Kar Bihar, the foundation’s brand.
Please introduce us to the craft and textile heritage of Bihar
From ancient times till India’s independence Bihar was renowned for being a centre of power; for its rich culture manifest in architecture, arts and crafts; and as a centre of learning. The state is a mine of artworks. There are several traditional crafts -from Mithila painting to papier-mâché, stone carving, sikki grass weaving, wooden toys, wood furniture work, textiles and more.
The traditional textile techniques in the state span sujani embroidery done with running stitch; appliqué; khatua (a form of cutwork where a fabric is stitched below the main fabric and a pattern is cut out of the main/top fabric to expose the lower fabric which becomes the accent piece); and handloom weaving. Among the weaves, the Bavaan Buti sari is unique and has inspired expression in a range of woven textiles.
Image: Process of Pre loom and Weaving. Image above: Extra Weft Baavanbuti Sarees.
Please tell us about the Bavaan Buti sari
The Baavan Buti sari is meticulously hand-woven on frame and pit looms. As its name suggests it has bavaan that means 52, butis -that means small motifs. These motifs are woven by the arduous extra weft technique. The size selected of the buti (motif) depends on the design and placement, however, the size is the same throughout the textile. There is no hard and fast rule about their size and placement, it depends on the design. The number 52 for the number of repeats of the motif and extra weft technique are constant.
The extra weft technique of weaving the Bavaan Buti motifs is distinct to the extra weft techniques practised in other regions of India/neighbouring regions of Bihar such as the jamdani weaves in West Bengal (that is the neighbouring state to the east of Bihar which is a different technique) and the extra weft technique in Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh states (to the southwest of Bihar) where it is done by the jala technique.
For the Bavaan Buti weave, the technique is very labour intensive as each motif is created by inserting an extra weft by hand in the standard weft that holds the warp together. The weaver follows the motif drawn on a graph paper. It is a perfect coordination of eye and hand movement that creates a flawless piece of craftsmanship.
Image: Extra Weft Baavanbuti Sarees.
Where is the Bavaan Buti woven?
The Bavaan Buti saris have traditionally been woven in south-central Bihar that is places in Nalanda and Gaya districts. These places are also the cradle of Buddhism which has influenced some of the motifs used to embellish these saris. Srijani Foundation, based in Patna-the capital of Bihar, is presently working with about 300 artisans (hand-spinners, weavers and embroidery artisans) in four districts (Patna, Nalanda, Samastipur and Siwan) of the state, and retails textile products under its brand Bun.Kar Bihar. About 90% of our work is focused on reviving and promoting the Bavaan Buti weave as we felt it is something we had to promote and take forward. It was an endangered craft and we worked very hard to not let it slip away.
Image: Process of Pre loom and Weaving.
Please describe the design of a typical Bavaan Buti sari
We typically design a weave of seven metres length and 46 inches width. This comprises a sari of six metres (which is draped) and a one metre piece to be used for a stitching a blouse to match the sari. Sometimes the blouse is a running piece along with the sari with motifs of the same colour and size. Sometimes the blouse piece may have a smaller version of the motifs that are on the sari or it may have stripes or be plain.
One motif recurs 52 times on the sari. Typically, a cluster of motifs is woven in the pallu (or end panel) of the sari, and there are motifs along the lower and upper borders along the length of the sari. For this, the size of the motif and its placement within the length and width of the sari has to be worked out perfectly before weaving commences. It is a challenge.
Image: A sari with appliqué and sujni motifs.
What is the origin of the sari and the specific number of motifs.
Since 2008 when I have been working in this field, and more specifically since 2016, when we received a Tata Trust grant. I have interacted with many older weavers, who hail from families of weavers. They have mentioned that Bavaan Buti sari dates back to about three-four hundred years. However, they do not know of any symbolism for the sari having 52 motifs and there is no documentation related to the same. Some people have linked it to beliefs related to the Hindu deity Vishnu. In past centuries, saris were of 5.10 metres length. One thought is that perhaps a weaver once happened to weave 52 motifs on this sari length, it looked beautiful and the design stayed on with the sari taking the name from the number of motifs
Does the Bavaan Buti sari have a special place in local culture?
In the olden times, it was considered necessary to exchange and gift Bavaan Buti saris. So whenever there was a festive occasion or a wedding, people often said “whatever you bring or do not, ensure that there is a Bavaan Buti sari”. We do not know why these saris were regarded as auspicious. There is no documentation. Perhaps it was their beauty, their motifs and the skill required to weave them that made them special. And that they were initially gifted at happy occasions perhaps made them synonymous with auspicious occasions, and thus, over time, they came to be regarded as auspicious gifts and a good omen.
This practice was prevalent for long. After about the 1980s, the loss of patronage, government apathy, the ravages of time, and closure of the Bihar State Handloom Corporation in 2001 (that had provided huge support to the weavers) affected the weavers adversely. This gradually pushed this exquisite craft to be buried in archives and the weavers migrated to other vocations and other states in search for livelihood.
Who were the earlier patrons of Bavaan Buti saris?
Bavaan Buti saris were patronized by the royal families and zamindar families (land holding). An elderly weaver once mentioned that in the old days weaving Bavaan Buti saris brought them adequate income to take care of all their expenses. He said often in front of the homes of master weavers there would be a crowd of people from royal families and zamindar families with orders or samples with a motif or a particular colour of a motif (that they may have seen on another textile) to recreate on a Bavaan Buti sari.
Which motifs are woven on the Bavaan Buti?
Traditionally weavers created motifs -drawn from their environment, the flora and fauna around them, socio-economic leanings of the age and what they see around them. Thus, Bavaan Butis, woven in about the late 18th century, had motifs of the pointed gourd, cowrie shell, flower, peacock and betel leaf. The betel leaf motif stemmed from the custom of offering guests a betel leaf when they were leaving; guests would be welcomed with water and jaggery.
This body of motifs was woven till about the mid-20th century when the demand for Bavaan Buti saris started declining due to various reasons such as lighter cotton saris being produced by power mills and the production of polyester saris at a much lesser price.
At that time Upendra Maharathi, a legendary artist -from Odisha and a follower of Rabindranath Tagore- who worked in several mediums came to Bihar. He initiated great advancement in all crafts. He brought in about 200 new motifs for Bavaan Buti such as– a boy, ox, lotus flower, ducks, tree of life and very many that are not remembered, of which there are no samples left. He guided the weavers to weave neater motifs.
Upendraji also guided the weavers to work on softer home furnishings - bedcovers, table covers, and curtain fabrics- in the Bavaan Buti technique. Many weavers trained under him and that is how new and improved motifs started getting woven, and thus soft furnishings took on the Bavaan Buti expression. .
More recently, Bun.Kar Bihar collaborated with designers Richard Pandav and Amit Vijaya of the label Amrich to expand the Bavaan Buti motif vocabulary. Richard and Amit travelled through the Bavaan Buti weaving belt, interacted with weavers, observed local culture and natural life, visited monuments. They went on to design about 300 motifs related to local culture Many of these motifs are free floating and multi-directional, so can be placed anywhere.
Image: Silk Stoles embellished with Sujni Embroidery.
Please tell us about the work of Bun.Kar Bihar
Bun.kar Bihar works with Bavaan Buti weavers as well as artisans working on sujani embroidery, applique and khatua. Our focus is Bavaan Buti. The name of our brand Bun.Kar derives from the Hindi word bunkar that means weaver. When we started in 2016 we met with the last of the Baavan Buti weavers, and have since worked diligently to restore, revitalize and promote this legendary craft of Bihar. The weavers weave with fine cotton and silk yarns that is a huge step forward from the coarse cotton yarns used for weaving Bavaan Butis earlier.
Please tell us the changes Bun.Kar Bihar has brought about
Bun.Kar Bihar has brought about changes in the yarns, motifs and look of the Bavaan Buti saris, and expanded the range of textiles to include stoles, home furnishings and yardage. We guided weavers to transition from polyester-based mixed silk to mulberry and thigh-spun tussar (an indigenous silk) silk yarns, and coarse cotton yarns to finer cotton yarns.
The weavers, especially in Nepura were used to weaving with kela-resham yarns. These yarns were from an artificial fibre which has a significant polyester content. We gradually led them to weave with mulberry yarns in the warp for silk saris, and thigh-spun or reeled tussar yarn in the weft. Some weavers who were very skilled started weaving with reeled tussar in the warp and weft to weave pure tussar silk saris. All our silk saris are thigh-spun tussar in the warp and weft, or mulberry in the warp and tussar in the weft. We also weave silk yardage. For this usually we use mulberry or tussar yarn in the warp with hand-spun cotton in the weft.
One of the biggest contributions of Bun.Kar Bihar was to bring back the hand-spun cotton yarns for weaving in yardages and in a small way in saris, because hand-spun yarn on the kisan charkha (a portable wooden spinning wheel) requires a lot of skill to use in the warp. It has been very challenging. The yardage is of cotton yarn that is hand-spun on the kisan charkha. There are only two weavers who have been willing to use our hand-spun yarns, dyed with natural dyes, in the warp and weft. The saris have warp and weft of cotton natural-dyed yarns that have been hand-spun on the kisan charkha. Using hand-spun yarn gives the fabric a wonderful texture which is truly unique. We also weave cotton saris with 2/100 cotton mill yarn in the warp and weft.
We have done three collections with hand-spun cotton yarns that were dyed with vegetable dyes, and we are presently working on the fourth collection. These saris weigh about a kilo, and the fabric gets softer and lighter over time as it is worn. When using synthetic dyes, we use azo-free dyes.
Image: Bun.kar Bihar Story. A Wall Narrative.
We revived old motifs and expanded the motif vocabulary. Amit and Richard have built a wonderful design library of contemporary motifs. These are geometrical and floral, and are inspired from the Buddhist and Jain architecture in the region. We use these to come up with new designs in new collections. The combination of the colour, design and placement of the motifs along with the quality of the yarns gives the Bavaan Buti saris of Bun.Kar Bihar a distinct contemporary appeal.
Some the motifs have a very minimalist placement. Some of these saris have a sprinkling of motifs along the borders including the end-panel borders and not on the body of the end-panel. The colours of some saris are soft and subtle. Some saris are festive in terms of motifs and colours such as a sari that has floral garlands/wreaths go up to 2.5 metres in a lovely golden yellow and olive colour.
Some saris have a dense placement of all 52 motifs on the end-panel making them statement saris. They all are classically beautiful! The idea of these designer saris is also to introduce Bavaan Buti saris to younger generation of customers/wearers.
Bun.Kar Bihar has used the motifs and extra weft weaving technique of the Bavaan Buti to create yardage, stoles, drapes and home furnishings. Customers are using the yardage to stitch garments and some are even using it for saris! The aim of adding these was to expand the product utility and customer base.
On close viewing, a woven Bavaan Buti motif looks like cross stitch embroidery. It also has so much similarity with its embroidery cousin sujani of Bihar, which has a GI tag. I also initiated and launched a sari collection which was Bavaan Buti in sujani embroidery, as I was entranced by the similarity between the two. We are hoping the Bavaan Buti sari receives a GI tag as it truly is a unique textile expression.
How do you collaborate with the weavers?
We provide weavers with the yarns, the design with all details of motifs and stripes (if any), their placement and colours to be used. Payment is made by bank transfer. We started with a couple of weavers and trained them on the loom. It has been a slow and steady process.
Most of the weavers already had looms; we provided some weavers new frame looms in 2017.
We have cluster office/offices with a stock room to monitor the work. Our senior technical manager/managers stay there. The yarn is sent to the weavers from there. Once they start warping and weaving, the work is under the supervision and control of our team. We check colours when we work on a new motif. The sampling happens on the loom. I see the samples on my WhatsApp and that is how Amit and Richard earlier - and now I- okay the work. Initially we gave the weavers smaller pieces like stoles, yardages, and cushion pieces. Once they were comfortable they moved on to weave Bavaan Buti saris.
Image: Process of hand Spinning of cotton yarn.
Our first order was for 300 saris from Taneira, an ethnic-wear brand from Titan Company Limited, part of the Tata Group, in 2018, Amit and Richard were very sensitive in understanding the demands of an eclectic market and the efforts needed to re-skill and up-skill the weavers. In 2018, they created minimalist designs of stripes with artistically placed motifs. The weavers could follow the designs and this put them at ease. The motifs were placed only in the pallu/end panel of the sari with stripes in the skirt of the sari. In 2020 Amit and Richard developed the design further through more intricate motifs and placement; these were finer, more intricate motifs, which required mastery over the skill of weaving extra weft. In 2021 and 2022 the motifs were even more intricate, covering a wider expanse of the saris. This is how Richard and Amit took the weavers through the process without pressure and graduated them through a three-tiered process of understanding design.
The weavers are very aware of quality now – right from keeping the loom clean to weaving neat motifs and ensuring their correct placement and orientation. Other weavers observed our processes and commitment to the textile and weavers and gradually joined us. We created a beautiful Bavaan Buti wall panel, of a construction of hand-spun cotton yarn, thigh-spun tussar yarn and a small amount of 2/100 mill yarn, for Sutr Santati: Then. Now. Next , an exhibition of specially commissioned Indian textiles held India and at Melbourne Museum (May- September 2023). We are truly happy to have contributed to the preservation and evolution of the Bavaan Buti of Bihar.
Find out more:
srijanifoundation.com
@bun.karbihar
Images Courtesy of Bun.Kar Bihar