Arni Silk Saree

 Arni is a town situated in Thiruvannamalai District in Tamil Nadu. Traditionally, Arni silk sarees are called as “Dobby variety”. These sarees are woven with mulberry silk in warp and weft by using dobby. The border has thin line of Zari and small designs. These sarees are lighter than Kancheepuram saree and weigh about 300-400 gram.

These are woven either with one side border or both side borders, but without interlocking the body and the border as done in Kancheepuram saree. These are woven either with single warp or double warp and  single weft or multiply  weft. These sarees  are used mostly in wedding and other important functions of the family.

Material

The materials used for the production of Arni silk sarees are mulberry silk, pure gold zari or half fine (imitation) zari. The count of warp and weft is 18/20 – 20/22 (2ply) Den mulberry silk. Nowadays, heavier Arni silk sarees are also being woven using 18/20 – 20/22D (4ply) Den silk in warp and 18/20 – 20/24 (8ply) Den silk in weft.

Technique

Arni silk sarees are produced with dobby for small motif in border. Nowadays, two to three jacquards with capacity 120-240 Hooks are also used to produce complex designs in the border, body and pallu. Sarees are woven in throw shuttle pit and frame loom fitted with dobby or jacquard.

How to Identify

  • Pure silk saree with small zari border and less complicated design in the pallu
  • Lighter than  Kancheepuram  Silk  saree  but  heavier  than Benarasi Silk
  • No solid      or     contrast      coloured     border      as     found     in Kancheepuram.
  • No extra series of warp threads in pallu.
    		•