Looking around Kolkata last week we found these exquisite soft jacquard scarves.
They're made from a soft blend of cotton and art silk so they drape beautifully. They are woven on a jacquard loom so they're reversible in that the colours are reversed on the opposite side.
The patterns are complex and incorporate many different colours. On this gold scarf you can see orange, turquoise & aubergine colours taking a minor role on the predominantly gold side but being the major colours on the reverse. This is a clear example of the effect produced by jacquard weaving.
Where the contrast between the different colours is not so strong the difference between one side and the reverse is less noticeable and the sense of movement and fluidity in the colours is more subtle, perhaps even more elusive and magical.
They've got all the magic ingredients of Indian textiles: floral chain motifs, patterned borders and a play on mango or Paisley patterns. The colours are vibrant with red, gold & purple flowers against a turquoise background.
Here we can see flamboyant floral & leaf patterns executed with an extravagant abandon that brings to mind luxurious silks. Indeed these scarves make me think of the heady patterns of the sixties and, in much earlier times, Turkey and of course Venice - the place where the fine fabrics of the Silk Road came into contact with Europe.
When Chinese silks first arrived in Turkey and Venice they caused an outrage because they were both warm and flimsy and those who could afford them might wear them to reveal the shapes of their bodies - moral outrage ensued. Of course we're not expecting the same to happen with these scarves!
The subtlety of colours on this Violet Jacquard Scarf is a delight. Both sides are beautiful - how would you choose which to show? In fact you don't have to choose - drape the scarf over your shoulder and as you move both sides will be evident: you really do get two scarves in one.
Of course you can see all the colours and buy these scarves in the Scarves & Textiles Collection.