1860-1903

Sari (Baluchar Butidar)

The tradition of weaving Baluchar Butidar saris originated in the town of Baluchar in Murshidabad District, West Bengal, during the eighteenth century. It soon spread to nearby towns, spurred by the patronage of the upper classes. Production of these fine silk garments continued into the nineteenth century, declining only around 1900 with the death of Dubraj Das, the area's best known master weaver. Woven on a traditional drawloom, the central field was usually covered with rows of buti, a paisley motif, from which their descriptive name, butidar, derives. Their anchals (end pieces), as seen in the two examples displayed here, are decorated with scenes of urban elite at leisure.

This sari woven by Dubraj Das is adorned with dandies seated at a richly set table.