Zari work

What it is

Zari is a metallic thread used in weaving and embroidery. The traditional form is a fine flat strip or wire of silver, coated with gold, wrapped around a silk or cotton core. Pure zari of this type is very expensive. Most zari sold today is metallic-coated copper, called tested zari, or a plastic film with a metallic finish, called imitation zari. Zari gives sarees their gleam in borders, pallus and woven motifs, and it is used with brocade, Kanchipuram, Paithani and other silks. The term is also used for embroidery with the same thread, such as zardozi. The gold content, thickness and purity of the zari strongly affect the saree price.

How it is made, step by step

Traditionally a silver bar is drawn through progressively smaller holes in a steel plate to form a very fine wire, a task done by hand. The wire is flattened by hammering or rolling into a thin ribbon, then electroplated or coated with gold. This flat strip, called badla, is spun around a silk thread on a spindle to make kasab, or twisted around a core to make the thread known as zari. Workers separate the stages: wire drawers, flatteners, platers and winders. In Surat, much of the zari is now made by machine, and imitation versions use copper or polyester film. The finished thread is wound on reels for weavers.

The motifs and looks it is known for

Zari appears as borders, pallus and woven motifs. Kanchipuram sarees use it for temple borders, peacocks and checks, while Banarasi brocade uses it for all-over jaal. Gold zari has a warm yellow shine, silver zari is white and cool, and a mixed look is called a blend. Different surface effects exist: a flat strip gives broad smooth areas, while a twisted wire gives sparkle. In Paithani sarees, zari motifs sit on the pallu in a rich weave, and in Gujarati Patan work zari is paired with silk. Over time real zari takes on a soft glow and may tarnish slightly, whereas imitation zari can look harsh and bright.

Where it is made

Surat in Gujarat is the largest centre of zari thread manufacture in India, and the city supplies weaving clusters across the country. Kanchipuram is known both for using zari and, in the past, for its own production of high-silver-content zari, and the Kanchipuram Silk Saree Zari mark has carried information on the silver and gold content. Varanasi, Lucknow, Agra and Bareilly are known for zari and zardozi embroidery, and Hyderabad also has zari work. In Rajasthan, Jaipur and Jodhpur have gota and zari work. Workers include craftsmen from various communities, and wages are often low. Smaller workshops in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka also supply the weaving trade.

History in brief

Gold and silver thread has been used in Indian textiles for a very long time, and early texts refer to cloth woven with gold. The tradition expanded under royal patronage, especially during the Mughal period. In the twentieth century the price of silver rose and more sarees moved to cheaper copper-based zari. Surat grew into a centre for machine-made zari, and in Tamil Nadu a mark was introduced to certify the amount of silver and gold in zari on Kanchipuram sarees, which are protected by a Geographical Indication. The shift to polyester metallic thread brought down the cost but reduced the value of the resulting saree as an investment, and some people still melt old zari to recover the silver.

Buying and caring for it

Ask the seller whether the zari is pure, tested or imitation, and look for a certificate or a silk mark with the details. Pure zari feels slightly heavy and is a warm tone. You can check by burning a small loose thread, which leaves a silver-white bead for real zari, but do this only on a spare thread with the seller. Imitation zari may blacken or melt like plastic. Keep zari sarees folded in muslin, away from damp, perfume and sweat, which tarnish the thread. Dry clean only and do not iron directly over the zari. Refold from time to time, since creases cut the metal strip on old folds.

Where to look

• Kanchipuram zari: Heavy silk sarees with silver and gold zari borders, with a mark on content.
• Banarasi zari brocade: Gold zari woven into jaal and border patterns in Varanasi.
• Surat zari: Gujarat city that makes most Indian zari thread.
• Paithani zari: Zari motifs on the pallu of Maharashtra Paithani silk.
• Zardozi: Embroidery with zari and metal wire, from Lucknow and Agra.
• Gota patti: Rajasthani applied ribbon work using metallic ribbon.
• Tested zari: A copper-based thread with a thin precious-metal coating.

Care

• Dry clean only and avoid direct ironing on zari.
• Store in muslin away from damp, perfume and sweat.
• Refold now and then so the metal does not crack at creases.

Sources and further reading

• Zari on Wikipedia
• Kanchipuram sari, Wikipedia