Motif on an Uppada Jamdani Saree Uppada Jamdani Sarees from coastal Andhra Pradesh tell a tale of lost know-how and revivalism. These sarees, which date back to the 17th century were once made of fine cotton with pure gold and silver zari. They were worn only by royal women – weavers (patronised by the houses of Venkatagiri, Pithapuram, and Bobili) were apparently not allowed to sell the sarees to anyone outside the royal households. In their heyday, reputedly woven so fine that they could fit into matchboxes, Uppada Jamdani sarees are now woven of silk, tussar and cotton, or some combination of them, and feature flora and fauna (which, in effect, means that they primarily feature motifs of flowers, peacocks, parrots and elephants). These ‘new’ Uppada sarees are a result of a revival of the art in the mid-1980s. The motifs, which don't necessarily have geometrical hard angles, are woven ‘within’ the fabric; they are clearly visible on both sides of the fabric and are rarel...