Chikankari

What are the two things that come to your mind when someone says Lucknow? Gulati Kebab and Chikankari work. Isn’t it fascinating and amazing that a weave has become synonymous with the beautiful city of Lucknow?

The Lucknow Chikan as it is popularly known worldwide is over 400 years old. The elegance of Chikankari works comes from its artistic embroidery which combines around 36 different stitching techniques. The work is combined with embellishments such as pearls and mirrors etc. While the place of origin of this beautiful weave is Lucknow, its production has spread to West Bengal too.

It is said that the Mughal Emperor Jahangir’s wife Noor Jahan was fond of Chikankari work and was quite talented herself in it. Enamored by her love for this embroidery work, Jahangir is said to have established several workshops and showered it with royal patronage.

Making of Chikankari:

There are three steps for all authentic Chikankari work.

1. Block Printing: Once the cloth is cut, designs are printed using different wooden block stamps. Blue ink is used for this process.
2. Embroidery: This fabric is then set in a small wooden frame and skilled artisans with decades of experience begin painstakingly intense needlework tracing the patterns printed on the cloth. What differs is the stitch, which the artisan chooses depending on the type and size of various motifs part of the pattern. Depending on the pattern, it can take upwards of three months or more for a Lucknow Chikankari saree to be completed. You can check out our products here.
3. Washing: Once the embroidery is completed, this fabric is then soaked in water to remove the printed patterns and then starched depending on the type of fabric.

The original Chikan work began as white-on-white embroidery on muslin or ‘mulmul’ as it’s commonly called. With floral patterns as motifs, Chikankari designs use varied versions of flowers, leaves, and other motifs that are delicate and sophisticated.  Various fabrics are currently used for this handwoven craft such as silk, chiffon, georgette, Net, Kota apart from cotton. It’s worth remembering that Chikan embroidery is considered a high-skilled work for which many artisans are said to be trained over two decades. Lucknow Chikan has also been accorded GI status (Geographical Indication).

Here, at Craftsutra, we bring to you only authentic Chikankari from some places. You will also learn about the artisan and his/her family when you purchase from us.

How to identify real Chikankari work:

If you are a lover of this beautiful hand-woven work, then you should also know how to identify the fake from the real. Real Chikankari work will have, at the back, French knots, different kinds of stitches in one fabric- such as shadow stitch, etc. If you don’t find these, then know that this is made by a machine and not by trained artisans!