Cow dung dyed handspun Eri Silk Sari with Tissue and Tilla-Pitaai embroidery

Aniko is our first sari with Tilla Pitaai embroidery on eri silk. Delicate firefly and parakeet motifs on Eri and raw silk lend a subtle elegance to Aniko. I grew up seeing my mother and grandmothers celebrating pashmina shawls with Tilla work. The similarities in the texture encouraged me to try out the same embroidery on eri silk. Upon beating the embroidery into the woolly texture of Eri silk, an act called Pitaai (beating), the embroidery embraces the fabric, which is my favourite form of texture. Aniko is light and elegant. With silver and gold, two moods are revealed. 

The eri silk is dyed with cow dung. 

Eri Silk is a wild silk with a woolly fibrous filament hand spun into yarn, handwoven on traditional throw shuttle looms of Assam. These are woven on looms that are simplified older looms where the basic main frame is formed using four posts or pillars dug steadfastly into the mud ground. This Eri Silk is handspun by adept spinners of Assam without using Charkha. The journey from cocoons to handspun yarn involves a spinner performing a series of steps for the appropriate treatment of cocoons that can enable hand spinning of yarn. These steps have remained unchanged through generations of the hand-spinning culture of Assam. We have retained the indigenous steps without much alteration.

Aniko is a one-of-a-kind textile designed to highlight a unique coming together of various techniques and creativity of handcraft. This design will not be recreated. Aniko comes with a blouse fabric designed to encourage Mora fireflies to bring their authentic spirit to the fabrication of blouse fit, usage of borders and edgings. The blouse worn by me is not included.

Gurmail, the tailor

Zahid Bhai did the tilla-pitaai embroidery

Narmohan Dada, the master Eri silk pioneer

Mumma, Madhu, technical supervision of stitching 

Midtoan.com, the photographer

Designed by Ritika