How do I select Ikats?

How do I decide which Ikats make it to the WOVENSOULS collection and which ones don’t?

One important factor I consider is the PRECISION visible. In some the line that was meant to be a horizontal line will have too much ‘off’ making it a very zig-zaggy line.

But a masterweaver will be able to create not only well-aligned horizontal lines but also great slanting lines or circles or little dots within circles. For a weaver who is a novice, such precise work is impossible … and this will show in the weaving.

Featured here are two examples – one with a high degree of PERFECTION and another that needs to improve on the precision.

The original idea of creating any motif demands precision – this is not subjective – it is the goal of any weaving to create clearly executed motifs.

BUT whether the precision matters to a collector or not, is of course subjective.

Naturally, this is just one of the factors I consider in Ikats. But this precision is like one of the ‘hygiene factors’ for me and it filters out ikats that do not have this to at least a reasonable degree.

See the wovensouls collection of Iban Ikats here on WOVENSOULS Art Gallery: Link

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jaina mishra, july 2024

WOVENSOULS