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Masland Weavers using Floor Loom
Artists from Purba and Paschim Medinipur2018
Banglanatak
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
A Masland is woven on a wooden or metal frame placed on the floor. It usually takes two weavers on either ends of the loom or frame to alternate the reeds with the cotton yarn in order to weave a Masland.
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Details
- Title: Masland Weavers using Floor Loom
- Creator: Artists from Purba and Paschim Medinipur
- Date Created: 2018
- Location: Purba & Paschim Medinipur
- Subject Keywords: Crafts, Madur, Madurkathi, Masland, Craftspersons, Natural-fibre, Mat-weaving, Artists, Bengal
- Rights: Banglanatak.com
- Medium: Reeds and cotton yarn mounted on a floor frame
- About the craft: Masland or Mataranchi is an exclusive and expensive handmade variety of Madur made with intricate weaving skills by weavers of Sabang in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal. The origin of the craft in West Bengal dates back to the Muslim period, when ‘Masland’ mats of superfine variety with fine cotton as weft were produced under royal patronage. Mats were collected as revenue of the Jaigirdari system. In 1744, Nawab Alibardi Khan issued a charter to the Jaigirdars in this regard and as a result, it was obligatory to supply ‘Masland’ mats for use in the collectorate. The traditional mat making families still retain the knowledge of weaving this fine variety of exclusive mats locally known as Masland or Mataranchi.
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