Jamdani

What it is

Jamdani is a supplementary weft weave on a very fine cotton ground. The motifs, usually geometric or floral, are added by hand with separate small bits of thread, so each figure floats on the surface and looks almost like it was drawn in. Because the ground is sheer, the pattern reads as a delicate shadow, often white on white or a muted colour on grey or ivory. The name comes from Persian words for flower and vase. Jamdani is not embroidery: no needle is used, and the design is part of the weave. It is lighter than most brocades and drapes softly, which is why it suits warm climates.

How it is made, step by step

Fine cotton yarn is spun, sized with rice starch and set on a pit or frame loom. Two weavers usually sit side by side at one wide loom. The design is traced or drawn on paper which is pinned beneath the warp, and there is no punch card. The master follows it, picking up the warp threads with a bamboo or wooden pointer and passing small bobbins of supplementary yarn through the opening for each motif, then passing a regular weft. This is slow, often a few centimetres a day for dense designs. Cotton, silk and sometimes gold thread are used. Finishing includes light washing and starching.

The motifs and looks it is known for

Dhaka jamdani has named patterns. Panna hajar means emerald thousand, a scatter of small flower dots. Butidar is a ground of small repeated flowers, and jhalar is a net of bigger floral figures covering the whole cloth. Tercha is a diagonal pattern, while the fulwar is a floral border. Common motifs are the paisley, a lotus and the bel or creeper. Colours range from white and ivory to black, indigo, red and green. Bengal cotton jamdani is usually plain-bodied with a patterned pallu, whereas the finest Dhaka work can carry dense figures across the entire cloth.

Where it is made

The historical centre is the area around Dhaka in Bangladesh, in places such as Sonargaon and Rupganj on the Shitalakshya river, where families of Basak and Muslim weavers practise the craft. In India, Phulia and Shantipur in Nadia district of West Bengal, together with Dhaniakhali in Hooghly, weave Bengal jamdani, much of it by families who moved from the east after the partition of Bengal. A related tradition is found in Uppada in Andhra Pradesh, where weavers adapted the technique and the cloth is known as Uppada jamdani. Weavers are generally family households, and the work of preparing yarn is split among the family.

History in brief

The muslin of Dhaka was famous across Asia and Europe for centuries, and jamdani grew out of that tradition. A weaving of patterned muslin is described in accounts by travellers, and under the Mughals the workshops were patronised for court wear. Over the colonial period the muslin trade declined sharply, mostly because of imports of mill cloth, and the finest-count muslin skills were nearly lost. Jamdani survived in smaller form. In 2013 UNESCO inscribed the traditional art of Jamdani weaving of Bangladesh on its list of intangible cultural heritage, and Bangladesh holds a Geographical Indication registration for Dhaka jamdani. Bengal jamdani in India has likewise been recognised as a craft.

Buying and caring for it

Look at the back. In handwoven jamdani the motif shows as thread passing through the cloth with small tails of trimmed ends, and the pattern appears on both sides. A print will be blurry underneath and a jacquard imitation will have long uncut floats at the back. Ask how many weavers worked, and how long, since a real piece with a dense design will come with a high price. A finer count feels soft and cool. Wash gently by hand in cold water with mild soap, do not wring or tumble, dry in shade, and iron on the reverse at a moderate heat. Store folded in cotton cloth.

Where to look

• Dhakai jamdani: The original muslin from the Dhaka region of Bangladesh, the finest of the tradition.
• Tangail jamdani: Related Bengal cloth woven in Tangail, Bangladesh.
• Shantipur jamdani: Bengal handloom jamdani woven in Nadia, West Bengal.
• Dhaniakhali jamdani: Light cotton jamdani of Hooghly district, West Bengal.
• Uppada jamdani: Silk jamdani of Uppada in Andhra Pradesh.
• Panna hajar: A pattern of tiny scattered flower dots on the ground.
• Jhalar: A network of large floral figures spread over the whole cloth.

Care

• Hand wash in cold water with mild soap and dry in the shade.
• Iron on the reverse at moderate heat while slightly damp.
• Store folded in soft cotton and refold now and then.

Sources and further reading

• Jamdani on Wikipedia
• Traditional art of Jamdani weaving, UNESCO