The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Unearthing a 300-year-old treasure

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 05, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Unearthing a 300-year-old treasure

P. Oppili

Kodali Karuppur sari discovered in the College of Fine Arts

TREASURE TRACED: Research scholar Bessie Cecil Melito taking a look at the Kodali Karuppur sari on Tuesday. — Photo: R. Ragu

CHENNAI: The College of Fine Arts, Chennai, has unearthed a treasure in its own museum — a rare 300-year-old Kodali Karuppur sari.

Experts say only 20 pieces of Kodali Karuppur textiles, including dhotis, saris and turbans, are found in museums.

The sari discovered at the college was meant to be worn only by widows of royal lineage.

The discovery was serendipitous: the Government had sanctioned a sizeable sum for the renovation of the museum on the college premises, and the college authorities found the sari wrapped in drawing paper in a locked glass showcase when they opened the museum for renovation.

The college authorities brought in Bessie Cecil Melito, a researcher on Kodali Karuppur textiles, to preserve the rare find.

Ms. Bessie said the sari, nine yards long and 40 inches wide, belonged to the 18th century and that it had been woven for a royal widow.

Speciality

"The weaving technique and the design vocabulary is unique in Kodali Karuppur textiles. The finesse of the zari is amazing. The sari has to be analysed to determine the ratio of gold to the other metals usedin it," said Ms. Bessie.

In those days, the artists had a design directory, and the sari was woven in Thanjavur district, she added. Ms. Bessie said the sari was woven with cotton zari, using the Korvai technique.

The Kodali Karuppur tradition of weaving flourished in the State during the Maratha period.

Ms. Bessie said that Sourashtrian weavers created the sari using only two colours, black and red.

Conscious of its value, the college authorities have removed the sari from the glass case, wrapped it in a linen cloth and rolled it in a bale.

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