THE BEAUTY OF THIS
HERITAGE WEAVE,
THE LIVE WEAVING
DEMONSTRATION,
AND THE WIDE ARRAY
OF PATOLA FABRICS
TOGETHER OFFER TEXTILE
LOVERS AN INSIGHTFUL
EXPERIENCE.
Each patola sari has two elaborate end panels
as the yarns are doubled and resist-dyed for a
symmetrical pattern. Another interesting facet
of the textile is that both sides of the cloth look
exactly the same. Working as a team of four, it
takes the family nearly four to five months to craft
one elaborately patterned patola sari.
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I APPAREL I
THE MUSEUM
The museum displays ikat textiles from various
countries, as well as those woven by the
forefathers and present members of the Salvi
family, offering visitors an understanding of the
technique in all its entirety. Ikats here are from
Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Laos,
Thailand, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, the Netherlands,
Spain, France, and Germany.
June 2019
Foundation
UNIQUE INITIATIVE
The highlight of the displays is the stunning
Shikarbhat (a hunting scene) sari, featuring
large elephant motifs and smaller ones of other
animals, kings, and soldiers, in an eye-catching
contrast of predominantly red and black colours.
The Salvi family was commissioned to weave
the sari by the Government of India in 2003.
The piece is regarded as the first modern-day
masterpiece drawing from the traditional double
ikats that were earlier exported to Indonesia. Six
such saris were woven, of which one is at Asian
Civilisations Museum, Singapore, another at
Royal Ontario Museum, Canada, and a third is a
part of the TAPI Collection, India. Antique patolas,
woven by past generations of the Salvi family, are
wrapped in cloth and placed in the museum’s
coffers for select viewing.
RETAIL SECTION
At the upper level of Patola House, visitors can
view a selection of patola textiles including saris,
dupattas, pocket squares, and scarves—all
woven by the Salvis. Also on display are some
single-ikat textiles for those with a
smaller budget.
The beauty of this heritage weave, the live
weaving demonstration, and the wide array of
patola fabrics together offer textile lovers an
insightful experience, transporting them to the
wonderful world of Patan patolas.