Natural dyed, handspun Eri silk sari by dyers and weavers of Assam and Nagaland

Eri Silk is naturally dyed, handspun, and woven on 2 different looms—throw shuttle and back strap loom in the rural settings of North East India. Indigo, Myrobalan and Turmeric need to be worked with meticulous chemistry to craft the natural dyes of this subtle elegance. 

Rihani represents a camaraderie of natural dyes, each hue a new composition from gifts of nature.

The drape and Pallu invited a remarkable feat! The panelled part of the Pallu is woven with hand-spun turmeric, indigo, and myrobalan dyed Eri silk yarn carried from Kamrup district, Assam, to the remote regions of Nagaland. During the pandemic lockdown, this project of weaving hand-spun Eri Silk on back strap looms was conceived as a livelihood opportunity while also creating a training module to weave a texture of yarn new to the local weavers. Weaving on the back strap loom lends a unique slub texture to Eri silk. To achieve that texture, hand-spun Eri had to be laced with rice starch and then warped onto back strap looms. We played with loose and tight weave styles to explore possibilities. The diversity of textures it brought out was a technical breakthrough for us.

We involved old grandmothers and young teenagers for this three-year project and made an interesting payment structure that involved multiple people working on a single shawl and having the freedom to earn at various loosely structured steps. That set some motivation in the group. It has been a slow project but a meaningful one because of the involvement of some key individuals who are motivated to work with their community and bring growth to their people.

Param did the beadwork 

Gurmail, the tailor

Narmohan Dada, the master Eri silk pioneer

Mumma, Madhu, stitching supervision

midtoan.com, photographer

Designed by Ritika