Indigo dyed, handspun, handwoven Eri silk double-sided shawl with Muga Ghicha weaving motifs

Namii brings together two silks that associate their identity with Assam's traditional textile ancestry.

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.  It is elegant in drape, and subtle in appearance and the texture of the fabric does not carry the obvious lustre that we typically associate with silk. Eri Silk being a protein fibre absorbs most natural dyes.

Muga is the rarest known wild silk in the world. The silkworms that are named after their ancient history with Assam, unfold the magic of nature when upon maturity, they begin to offer their delicate short-filament golden-yellow silk to the world. Muga is a fine filament-based yarn that involves an intensive reeling technique to turn fibres into yarn. Muga Ghicha is made out of those parts of cocoons that could not be incorporated into the standard reeling process while extracting the fine filament. The result of this is a raw texture added to any weaves made with Ghicha yarns.

The motifs in the shawl are made using Muga Ghicha.

With non-injury as our core totem, we have given colour to this fabric using those natural sources that are procured locally, leaving the least violent footprints on life and nature. The dye raw material is natural i.e. plant-based, instantly compostable, non-industrial and non-toxic.

Namii 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.

Param did the beadwork 

Gurmail, the tailor

Narmohan Dada, the master wild silk pioneer

Mumma, Madhu, Patchwork technical supervision

Midtoan.com, the photographer

Designed by Ritika