Maheshwari Muse Unstitched Kurta fabric with Dupatta · Sage Green & Cream Zari

Handwoven on pit looms in Maheshwar, on the banks of the Narmada -a weave that traces back to the patronage of Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar in the 18th century.

The kurta fabric is a soft sage green, threaded through with fine ivory stripes that catch the light as the fabric moves. A twin band of gold zari runs along the border in a delicate chevron, framed by a natural ecru ground.

The dupatta carries the same story in reverse -an ivory field lightly checked in zari, scattered with hand-woven butis in muted gold, silver, grey and green, opening into a deep sage pallu with matching zari borders. No two butis sit quite alike; that unevenness is the loom's signature, not a flaw.

Details

• Craft · Maheshwari handloom, pit-loom woven
• Origin · Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh
  
• Supplied · Unstitched, ready to tailor
  
• Kurta fabric · 2.5 m
• Dupatta · 2.17

Wash care

First wash · Dry-clean recommended for the first wash to set the zari and stabilise the weave.
Thereafter · Hand wash separately in cold water with a mild liquid detergent. Do not soak beyond 5 minutes. Do not machine wash, bleach, or wring.
Zari · Keep perfume, deodorant, and hair spray off the zari — alcohol tarnishes it. Never scrub over the zari band.
Drying · Dry flat or on a padded line in the shade. Direct sun will dull the beige and yellow the ivory.
Ironing · Medium heat on the reverse side, with a cotton cloth over the zari.
Storage · Wrap in muslin, refold along a different line every few months so the zari does not crease along one point. Do not store in plastic.