While industrialization and the exponential growth of urban areas around Dhaka have forced tigers out of Sonargaon, they once roamed freely amongst the Golden Village. The weavers ancestors knew the sight of this fearsome predator well, and paid homage to it by incorporating the print into their work. Because the trade is passed down through bloodlines, the print within the fabric lives on even though most in Sonargaon have never seen a tiger in real life. Its this fascinating history and lineage that makes the process of creating Jamdani fabric so interesting.
It also led us to question the history and storytelling behind other fabrics and textiles that are used all over the world. If such a unique tale was lingering right under our noses, what other stories behind the fabric are out there, just waiting to be told? We’ll explore and document our findings in our #StoriesWoven series over the coming months. Stay tuned!