Paper short abstract:

This paper examines zari, a golden thread used as surface embellishment in the indigenous Kanchipuram silk sari of Tamilnadu, India and examines how it mediates the dynamic life of the sari.

Paper long abstract:

Several studies on material artefacts have focused on the movement of objects and images through space and time and comprehend them through their multiple and changing values, status and meanings (Appadurai: 1986; Kopytoff: 1986; Davis: 1997; Shreen: 2010; Shreen: 2015; Shreen: 2016; Basu: 2017). Building on that approach this paper studies zari, a golden thread used as surface embellishment in the indigenous Kanchipuram silk sari of Tamilnadu, India and examines how it mediates the dynamic life of this textile.

The contemporary repertoire of zari design, comprising repetitive reproduction of ancient motifs as well as innovative patterns, adaptations and appropriations mediate a fluid boundary between traditional dress and modern fashion. The zari designs also become a space that exhibits the creativity and artistic ingenuity of the designer and the dexterity and craftsmanship of the weaver, leading to the concomitant redefinition of such saris as masterpieces and some have been conferred prestigious awards. The material composition of the zari thread, in terms of its silver content, co-relates to its valuation as authentic or fake zari. Therefore, saris made with authentic zari ornamentation, claiming a high silver content, are priced at a premium and perceived as luxurious apparel and cheap imitations are manufactured with fake zari.

Thus tracing the trajectory of sari through zari dynamics, this presentation, accompanied by a display of the saris under discussion, will conclude with a one minute teaser of the author's musical film, on zari aesthetics and valuation, rendered in classical (Carnatic) South Indian style.