Jamdaani

Jamdaani : Woven handloom embroidery 

Jamdani weaving, originating in the undivided Bengal region between the 9^th-12^th centuries is the most time-consuming and labor-intensive form of hand-loom weaving in existence. Traditionally known for its rich floral motifs, Jamdani is a discontinuous weft technique of weaving done on a loom wherein the motifs are inlaid in the fabric by adding a denser thread to fine warp threads by hand.

Traditionally, the motifs in a Jamdani textile would not be drawn on paper to be followed in the loom, but would be designed from memory and artistic creativity—an impressive feat considering how mathematical and symmetrical the traditional motifs are. Today, as Jamdani has evolved to meet current fashion demands, modern motifs may be drawn on graph paper, but when traditional motifs are utilized, they continue to come from the weaver’s memory as it was passed down generationally.