BOOK REVIEW - Sahib, Bibi, Nawab – Baluchar Silks of Bengal 1750 – 1900

You thought it was a nostalgic reminder of the movie of yore – Sahib Bibi aur Gulam. No, that is the name of the catalogue launched together with the exhibition of the same name showcasing the rich collection of Baluchari with TAPI. TAPI stands for the Textile Arts of the People of India, has been set up by Praful and Shilpa Shah of Garden Mills to showcase their private collection of textiles amongst other things. Their collection of textiles is stupendous and several exhibitions have been held at the National Museum, Delhi. Notably has been the first on traded textiles from India, the Pichwais and later one on Parsi Gara embroidery. Each exhibition is accompanied by a detailed catalogue written by eminent textile experts and detailing each of the exhibits. It is the detailing of the exhibits as a catalogue which opens to textile enthusiasts, revivalists and those in the trade, the sheer design potential of them. This book cum catalogue has been written by Eva Maria Rakob, Shilpa Shah and Tulsi Vatsal. It is beautiful detailed account of the Baluchari sarees – the past, present and future.

 For the first time, a detailed catalogue and write up on one of the most treasured weaves of our time – Baluchari saree is being covered. The reason this is being covered here is that it is an excellent source of the design, fabric and colours of yore. Any revivalist, any person working on these weaves can use it as an ideal base for bringing in new designs. It is an eye opener on the colours and textures of that time. What stands out is the painstaking research put in by the authors. Very few textile craftsmen ever visit the annals of history to discover the roots of their creation or use it for inspiration. May be more books on these will see a revival of patterns and taken Indian handlooms to further heights.

What makes the catalogue very relevant is its immaculate documentation of the Baluchari Sarees, its origins and contexts. Eva had researched Baluchari Butedar sarees for her Ph.D from Heidelberg Universtiy, Germany in 1993. She came back to examine the TAPI collection again in 2012. A total of 68 Baluchar textiles from the TAPI collection were analysed. What makes it a fascinating read is there are interesting facts from the Baluchari textiles examined by Eva. Eva had examined a total of 369 Baluchar Butedar sarees of which 26 sarees had the names of the weavers woven on them. It can be said to be the first instance of a weaver signing his name on any piece of textile. There are photographs of the names of the weaver on the textiles.

The catalogue takes the reader on to a fascinating journey of the Baluchari sarees. Its origins when Murshid Quli Khan in 1704 shifted the provincial capital from Dacca to Maksudabad and renamed in Murshidabad. The place was well known for its silk and hence was a melting pot of culture and tradition. It was home to businessmen from India and world over. A very interesting piece of information shared is that the town of Baluchar had been swallowed.  A separate page is devoted to Dubraj Das, Master Weaver who was the last of the weavers of the fine tradition. His disciples or those trained by him did not have the mastery over the loom. A poignant piece says, “Dubraj left behind an enduring legacy in the form of fifteen (known) signed textiles – five of which are in the TAPI collection. But the fine art of weaving that once made both Dubraj and the Baluchar budetar famous, all but died with the master-weaver’s passing.”

A lot of precious information is gleaned out of writing by N G Mookerji, Deputy Collector of Murshidabad. He did pioneering research to revive the fortunes of the silk Industry of the area.

 The weaving of the intricate sarees – This is described beautifully as, “the weaving of these complex patterns was done on traditional drawlooms using a supplementary patterning weft. The technique demands tremendous skill, both to set and operate the loom. Most Baluchar butedar silks are woven in plain weave: silks in twill weave are infrequent. An analysis of sixty eight Baluchar textiles from the Tapi Collection shows that the silk yarn used for the foundation warp is twisted in an “S” shape in all but three pieces, where untwisted warps have been used. Foundation wefts are untwisted in all sixty eight examples. The supplementary pattern weft uses untwisted lustrous silk floss, many times thicker than the foundation weft, thus achieving an enamel like effect. This is enhanced by using thick white floss silk to define the outline.”

The motifs are a fascinating study. There are hookah smoking Sahibs, there are Bibi’s smoking a hookah. The detailing is excellent. The section has been aptly titled Woven Archives. There is another section on flaws in the sarees. There is another fine detailing on the patterns and how it has been borrowed from Varanasi weaves and Kashmiri embroidery. It is the wealth of motifs which is fascinating as it also captures the happenings of the time. It can be likened to a moving historical perspective of that era. There are a wealth of Namavali textiles. There is an interesting chapter on Baluchari from other parts notably Ahmedabad, Varanasi (its revival), the current Baluchari being made in Murshidabad using jacquard looms. The colour combination of the original saree again speaks of the technique of dyeing which was perfected over ages. It is a wonder how such deep shades of maroon, purple, pink, ochre were got. There is a beautiful saree woven by Dubraj Das which shows Europeans in conversation, he must have been a master to have tied this design on the humble jala.

What stands out about the book is that it is a huge tome on the tradition of Baluchari weaving in the country. There is a rich collection of sarees which have been painstakingly depicted. The detailing of the sarees, its colours, the fineness of the weaves have been analysed and catalogued. A good book for anyone wanting to work with this treasured weave.