Ikat Weaving

Ikat weaving is an ancient craft with deep roots in India and early evidence proves its existence, with references in Buddhist texts to depiction in murals of the famous Ajanta Caves dating back to a period between the 2nd century BC to 7th Century AD. Given the evidence of existence of the craft in various parts of Asia demonstrating strong ikat traditions suggesting its possible origins, it probably developed in various regions independently. It is quite possible the craft may have travelled to south east Asia via trade routes, also taking root in countries like Indonesia. The name Ikat means to ‘bind’ in Indonesia, a technique used to create unique textile patterns by resist dyeing sections of the yarns prior to weaving the fabric. Some distinctive features of Ikat fabric is that both sides of the fabric carry the same pattern with a blurred appearance to the edges of the pattern. In Ikat, the resist is formed by binding individual yarns in a desired pattern before it is dyed. Patterns can be variated just by shifting the bindings and changing the colour of the dye. This process may be repeated multiple times to produce elaborate, multicoloured patterns, after which the yarn is woven into fabric. In other resist-dyeing techniques like Tie & Dye or Batik, the resist is applied to the woven cloth, whereas in ikat the resist is applied to the yarns before they are woven into cloth. Major Ikat weaving regions in India include Orissa, Andhra Pradesh / Telengana & Gujarat, with a unique identity to each of the weaves.