Benares "Cutwork" Sari

Olive green silk brocade sari embellished with diagonal rows of stylized flowers, all within a narrow border of similar design. Benares (or Varanasi, its old name) is the famed center of the Indian brocade weaving industry. The supplementary threadwork of many Benares brocades is woven as floats across the back. These are kept in place until the sari is bought at which point the trader will have them cut away, hence the name “cutwork sari.”