Kanchipuram Directory -Details

One of the chief design directions that the Visvakarma commissions took was towards the creation of directories across textile techniques, which could serve as a reference for the future. This outstanding textile comprises around 640 patterns used in Kanchipuram handlooms, created through the mechanism of a dobby, which allows for simpler patterning than the complex jacquard. It was found relevant to have this textile woven in Kanchipuram because of the structure of silk weaving here which, when combined with the use of pure zari, could impart a certain softness in feel and drape despite the heavy use of metallic yarn.

Stylised diamond shapes, paisleys, fishes and combinations of lines and dots can be seen in Kanchipuram directory as on ode to the local flora and fauna as well as the religious sensibilities of the Tamizh region.