Reaffirming that appearances are deceptive, the spectacular Mashru has the appearance of glistening silk that conceals the soothing feel of cotton. While the silk on the outer surface has a beautiful, glossy appearance, the cotton yarns in the back soak up sweat and keep the wearer cool in the hot climate of the deserts.
Mashru weaving is an old tradition in India and this textile was traded to Arabian countries. Mashru means “permitted” in Arabic and it is believed that this textile got this name when Muslim men, who were not allowed to wear silk, started wearing this fabric. Since the body is in contact with cotton and silk is only on the exterior, they got approval to wear this luxurious fabric.
Mashru fabric is made by interlacing silk and cotton yarns. Cotton makes the weft, or the horizontal yarns while silk is used for the warp, or the vertical yarns. In this weave, each silk yarn goes under one cotton yarn and above five or eight or more cotton yarns, giving an appearance of a shiny surface that looks like it is made up of only silk, while the underside of the fabric is cotton. Since the structure of the fabric allows for more yarns in a given area, it also makes the fabric stronger.
Another weave, besides Himroo, that Suriaya Hasan Bose Apa is closely identified with is Mashru. The weave, which is also woven on eight pedals, was woven for Muslim communities, who believed that silk should not touch a person’s skin. In Mashru, the warp is in cotton and the weft, where the design is visible, is in silk. The upper silk layer has the design and the lower layer is plain cotton. Sometimes the silk yarn used was tie-and-dyed together, giving it the appearance of Ikat.
