136-137 / 168
134
135
The second of Jaffar Ali’s Baluchar revival period saris,
the present lot is created in deep shades of maroon
and has a
pallav
with five
kalka,
or the mango motif.
The sari is defined by multiple images of a nawab
smoking a hookah framed by a
jharoka
with a hanging
lamp and side wall lamps. The Nawab sits on a bed
and leans against a bolster. His turban is reminiscent of
the Asavali pattern.
Jaffar Ali's father, Ali Hasan, was a superb artist,
rendering perfect drawings that were essential for
creating
naqsha
of a high quality. Jasleen Dhamija
recalls that Hasan’s desire for perfection was so great
that he worried a single mistake in his drawing would
lead to a defective design, which in turn would ruin
the work on the loom. While Hasan's saris were
exceptional and elegant, an art that few weavers can
match, he trained his son to follow in his footsteps.
80
BALUCHARI SARI WITH MAN
SMOKING HOOKAH
Woven by M Jaffar Ali
VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, 1968
Handspun and handwoven silk, synthetic dyes
202.75 x 45.5 in (515 x 116 cm)
$ 2,275 - 3,790
Rs 1,50,000 - 2,50,000
Jaffar Ali, Varanasi, circa 1980
© Himman Dhamija