All You Need To Know About Zari Artwork

Zari work is an intricate art of weaving thread craftwork made up of fine gold or silver on the designed clothes. These threads are further woven into fabrics that are primarily made up of intricate patterns. One can witness that Zari thread is not only used for weaving but is also used for Zari embroidery. Just to be extremely specific, the dull zari thread is known as Kora and the shinier one is called Chikna. The Zari work designs are so precise and beautiful to look at that, not just the thread but also the overall fabric looks extremely royal and rich.  Traditionally, zari thread work on clothes was only used as an embellishment of the royal attire.

However, nowadays, the modernized version of zari work is known as metallic zari. It has replaced the traditional gold and silver threads with the new metallic Zari work. These metallic zari threads are made by wrapping the metallic yarn on a cotton thread. The advantages of using metal zari embroidery threads include uniform flexibility, evenness, and ductility. In comparison to standard zari yarn, metallic zari work is corrosion resistant, lightweight, and robust.

The artwork of Zari: 

Zari work in the gold and zardozi embroidery is expected to be heavily glittering with encrusted gold thread work. You can now even buy zari metallic threads at Tokenz.com that are available in different colours other than gold and silver and give the same royal look. Zari thread work is shrink resistant which prevents the final product from losing its shine. Zari embroidery work is famous for its intricate designs and attractive patterns. You could find the best Zari artwork mainly in Lucknow, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Delhi, Agra, Kashmir, Mumbai, Ajmer and Chennai. There are different forms of Zari artwork that gives out an exceptionally beautiful royal look. 

Different forms of Zari art form: 

1. Zardozi: Zardozi is a very heavy and elaborate zari embroidery work. It uses a variety of gold beads, threads, gota Patti and seed pearls while designing the cloth with the Zari artwork. Zardozi embroidery work is mainly done on fabrics like velvet, heavy silk or satin. It is majorly used to embellish wedding outfits, heavy coats and other products that need heavy embroidery. 

2. Kamdani: Kamdani is light needlework that is majorly done on lighter materials like caps or scarves using the flattened wire. In the Kamdani Zari artwork, ordinary thread work is used and the wire is pressed down to produce a satin stitch effect. This satin stitch effect produces a glittering effect and it is known as Hazara butti.

3. Mina work: Mina work resembles enamel work and it uses gold threads. Mina Kari work is an art of embellishing various types of metals like gold, silver etc with vibrant colours in dramatic forms of birds, flowers and leaves. There are various kinds of Meenakari work present based on whether the enamel is opaque, transparent or translucent.

4. Gota work: Traditionally, gota ribbons are used as a functional trim on various garments. A warp of flattened gold and silver wire is spun with a weft of silk or cotton threads to create these gota ribbons. It often uses the applique technique, which involves stitching the edges of small pieces of zari ribbon to the cloth to create intricate patterns.

How Mughals influenced the Zari Work? 

The Zari artwork has always been associated with the Royal person in India. It is considered to be one of the most famous and elaborate techniques in the field of metal embroidery. This Zari embroidery work was brought to India by the Persian migrants between 1700-1100 BC. However, it flourished under the reign of Emperor Akbar during the Mughal era. Under the rule of Aurangzeb, the royal art of Zari work stopped which led to the decline of this craft. The Zari embroidery work couldn't be sustained by the local Craftsmen because of the high-cost raw materials.  After India got independence in 1947, the Indian government undertook steps to promote zari embroidery work.

Methods of zari embroidery: 

The artisans begin the zari embroidery process by sitting cross-legged around the set-up with all of the appropriate materials. Needles, curved hooks, Sitara as, glass beads, round-sequins, plastic beads, and Dabka thread are among the most popular instruments. After drawing the design over the cloth, the fabric is stretched over the wooden frame and the Zari embroidery is then started to perform. The needle is used to pull out each zari element and to infuse it into the actual design by pushing the needle into the fabric to create intricate designs.

Source and inspiration for Zari art: 

Elegance is what reflects in the intricate patterns and designs of a Zari artwork. If we want to trace the source of inspiration behind this technique, it would lead us back to Medieval times when the Zari artwork was used on silk fabrics. The patterns that are used in a Zari artwork are directly inspired by the ancient beliefs and rituals of the medieval period. Though, the source of inspiration varies from place to place and is passed down over the centuries by varied generations.