The pattern in kimkhab looks as though
embroidered on top of an already rich silk.
The silk fabrics have colored silk or gold
threads interwoven to form the most attractive
designs. The gold thread is called kalabattu.
It is a specially prepared thread of silk
with a metallic mounting of gilded silver.
A thin bar of silver is beaten and drawn
through a succession of holes in an iron
plate. Each hole is smaller than the preceding
one. This process is followed until a very
fine wire is obtained. This wire is slightly
flattened and twisted spirally around the
silk thread. Kimkhabs were earlier made entirely from
fine gold or silver threads. During the
17th, 18th and 19th centuries, some were
set with precious stones, and were used
in making canopies and trappings as seen
in the late Mughal paintings.
Gradings
There are various grades for kimkhabs which
are determined by the number of kalabattu
threads repeated in a given space. For example
ekpara represents ten kalabattu threads
in a running inch. Similarly, there is dopara,
tinpara, chaupara and even chhapra.
Price
The price of kimkhab is also determined
by the degree of gilding on the kalabattu
thread. An ekratia contains one rati (7.5
grams approximately) a doratia, two ratis
and so on. |