Ikkat

Ikat is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles by binding selected areas of yarns with a resist before dyeing. The bound yarns are dyed, the bindings are released, and the yarns are woven to reveal a pattern. Because the bindings are set on the yarns before weaving, the resulting motifs appear when warp and weft meet and often have soft, feathered edges.

There are three main forms: warp ikat, where the pattern is created on the warp yarns; weft ikat, where the pattern is on the weft yarns; and double ikat, where both warp and weft are resist-dyed and aligned during weaving. Double ikat is more complex and labor-intensive; the best-known example is the Patola silk from Gujarat, India.

Regional traditions include India, where Sambalpuri (Odisha) and Pochampally (Telangana/Andhra Pradesh) are well known for their geometric patterns and bright colors; Gujarat’s Patola is renowned for its intricate double ikat. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia has a long-standing ikat tradition across many islands, contributing to the technique’s global reputation.

Today, ikat textiles are used in garments such as sarees, sarongs, and ceremonial robes, and they remain a symbol of regional craftsmanship, valued by collectors and designers for their distinctive patterns and hand-woven texture.