A Bit of Silk, Sentiments aplenty !

Hello from the blissful corners of my parents' home ! 

Whenever I come here, I am on a special look out for those days when my mother is in a generous mood and allows me a peek into the 'petis' that hoard treasures that she received from my grandparents. The other day I had the most amazing time rummaging through the shelves of one such cupboard, and my eye caught a glimpse of some of the most beautiful sarees that belonged to my Daadi. 

I love sarees. No outfit in the world compares to the beauty of those six yards. A saree can be feminine, it can strong, it can be smart, it can be festive, it can be bold, it can be shy, it can be flirtatious, it can be no-nonsense, it can be...whatever you want it to be...beautiful in all forms. It is fluid, malleable, ready to mould itself to whatever mood you are in. I now live in a country where a saree is so rare, that it is literally a traffic stopper, yet I make it a point to wear one whenever possible and love the appreciative smiles I get from the locals, at the sight of this fascinating attire :-) 

My Daadi (whom we fondly called 'Mummum') was an immensely strong and independent lady, with a magnificent personality. I remember she would carry herself with such grace and drape her sarees with a confidence and elegance that was synonymous with her identity. Her sarees were 'a part of her',  the impeccable pleats, the casually slung aanchal, a beautiful vision, mostly in pristine shades of cream, off-white and beige.

When I touched these beautiful vintage fabrics that belong to her, most of them now nearly a hundred years old, the true meaning of the phrase 'poetry on the loom' came to life...

Starting with a beautiful weave from Bengal that just took my breath away, the intricate 'jaal-work' in grey-green, woven all over a neutral cream background with a lovely four inch cream border and the gold 'bootis' adding just the right amount of shimmer. This made me think of the 1940s, of a strand of pearls and of leisurely lunches at the grand old clubs of Calcutta...

I will be honest and share here, that like most other women, I have a weakness for pink, and thus far I thought I had seen all the pinks the world had to offer, until I saw this...

..and it took my breath away...infinite layers of the prettiest pink tissue I had ever seen with threads of pure silver 'zari' running through the swathes...

This was given to my mother during her wedding, as one of the 'saas-ki-sarees', part of the gifts that are given from the mother-in-law's own trunk as she welcomes the daughter-in-law home.  

Speaking of tissues, I fell in love with this one in cream where gold and silver 'zari' come together in the beautiful border, with just a hint of indigo in contrast. How gorgeous this one would look, the hair coiled on top,paired with a classic brocade blouse and gold jhumkas...an image that could very well be an artist's inspiration !

Here's another one with an exquisite border, so striking against the modest grey background...

...understated elegance...simple yet so beautiful...

And this one is for the love for sarees in the summers...a lovely mauve  'Dhaakai' with motifs in cream and yellow all over it and a blue edge which I love !

This made me think of an afternoon spent in tiled verandahs, of low slung arm chairs, of the 'hata-pakha' and the keybunch tied to the pallu...

And while there are more I would love to share with you, I will sign off here with this stunning vintage 'banarsi' silk...resplendent in pinks and greens, interspersed with 'zari' all over the aanchal that left me swooning.

A timeless classic, perfect for a wedding or a festival...this one.

Kudos to my mother for preserving these beautiful heirlooms so well, who would say looking at them, that they are nearly a century old ! Thank you Ma for letting me take these precious pieces out of the cupboard and for allowing me to photograph them :-)

This treasure trove has a zillion sentiments and emotions woven amidst the 'resham' and the'zari'. I hope you enjoyed it. I am looking forward to the day I can wear them and envelope myself in my grandmother's love as I imagine how beautifully and gracefully she would have carried them on herself :-)