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Wondrous weaves
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With a wide variety of yardage, made-ups and fashion accessories, `Tantavi' showcases the country's rich handloom tradition. The exhibition is on till March 30.
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ACROSS TIME, India's finely woven cottons have literally been the stuff of metaphor and poetry, from the `tana bana' or warp and weft of Indian poets linking the material to comic reality, to the ancient Roman description of India's cottons as `vetri venti' or woven winds, to the bales of the precious stuff which went to the courts of 17th Century Europe, not to mention the fabled Dhaka muslin, which could pass through the proverbial ring! Today, this quality, poetry and passion for perfection can be seen at the "Tantavi' exhibition, showcasing 212 unique and specially developed examples of handloom yardage featuring natural fibres such as cotton, wool, silk and jute in natural dyes.
Organised by the national Centre for Textile Design (NCTD) and the Central Cottage Industries Corporation of India (CCIC) `Tantavi' is an exhibition of natural fibre textiles of differing textures and varieties developed by the 14 Weavers' Centres, under a one-year project envisaged by the Government of India. As Dipak Ghosh, Director, NCTD puts it: "Our target is to generate employment for the handloom weaver. This exhibition displays unique handloom fabrics to exporters and also to manufacturers catering mainly to the domestic market. We've already got a lot of export orders at the Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi exhibitions and have started work... "
Above all, what a superlative celebration of the country's handloom textiles the "Tantavi' exhibition is! Highlighting textures and varieties of warp and weft with many forgotten weaving techniques the Weavers Centres' weaver - designer melange has created a new range of handlooms imbibing age-old traditions of classic warp and weft combinations along with modern characteristics of convenience such as wrinkle-free, anti-shrink and easily washable properties. The colours of creativity are in natural shades of muted gold, browns, beiges, cream, café au lait and all the six shades of white so beloved to the Indian weavers' sensibility. Innovative compositions based on combinations of different yarns, counts, picks, reeds and weaves, translate into fabrics ranging from muslin-like thinness and ethereal delicacy to full-bodied, textured textiles, the earthy charm of jute, the sensuous feel and flow of silk... Along with yardage, "Tantavi' also features made-ups, fashion accessories such as hand bags and apparel - both Western and Indian - designed out of the fabrics on display. A must-see exhibition for the handloom industry, fashion designers, master weavers, exporters, manufactures and for lovers of the country's craft and textile heritage.
Tantavi, which opened at Sree Geetha Bhavan, 332 (233) Avvai Shanmugam Salai, Gopalapuram, ends on March 30.
PUSHPA CHARI
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