The revival of muslin

What is muslin? The fables of the ancient times when Roman ladies would clad their bodies with this finely woven fabric only tell us how muslin was treasured worldwide but it tells us little about how muslin is like. The Chinese explorers who have come in contact with the white piece of finesse have tried to explain muslin by comparing it to the mist of dawn. However, we have only heard of the incredible feeling of running one's fingers over a muslin sari for the art of weaving muslin was lost during the British reign. 

The prized possession of the royalties and the aristocracy, the witness of the veils of time was suddenly gone when the fabric of the industrial revolution felt threatened by the fame of the hand woven muslin. 

The magical weavers of muslin on the bank of Meghna, the only place where the special cotton for muslin could be grown, were tortured to a stop. The Phuti Karpas went extinct and all hopes of leaving a piece of muslin for the generations to come seemed to disappear; until now. 

Drik, with its extensive research of two years on the re-weaving of muslin; Aarong, with its zeal to keep alive the lone survivor of the muslin weaving era, and The National Museum have come together to fight against the oblivion and to revive our glorious past of exquisite weaving. 

Friday, February 5, was the celebration of the achievement of this partnership. Together with thousands of artisans who still dream of the mastery of their ancestors, they have recreated the fabled muslin and opened it for the yearning eyes. 

The opening ceremony of Muslin Festival 2016 was a testament to our glorious past. Honourable Finance Minister, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith as the chief guest; Asaduzzaman Noor, Honourable Cultural Minister as the special guest; Aktari Mumtaz, Cultural Affairs Secretary; M Azizur Rahman, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Bangladesh National Museum; Saiful Islam, CEO of Drik; Tamara Abed, Senior Director, Brac Enterprise and Rosemary Crill, Senior Curator, Victoria and Albert Museum were present at the inauguration.  

The program started with a trailer of the 45-min film “Legend of the Loom” by Drik. Reminiscence of the magic of muslin and the will to reclaim it as our proud culture was the theme of the day. A book titled “Muslin. Our Story” was launched on the occasion. Five and ten taka stamps commemorating the story of muslin were issued by the Bangladesh Post Office. 

The artisans who worked to weave the new muslin were also honoured on the event.

As part of the festival, the distinguished guests opened a month long exhibition titled “Muslin Revival” at the Nalinikanta Bhattashali Galley, Bangladesh National Museum. It is a unique celebration of culture in that the exhibition appeals not only to the eyes but to all of the senses.  It starts by leading you through the woven history of muslin and ends with engulfing you into the roots of magic. 

The exhibition showcases real muslin artifacts and the new muslin woven by the weavers of Drik muslin team. Modern dresses designed with the new muslin by designers Aneeth Arora, Darshan Shah, Humaira Khan, Kuhu Plamondon, Lucky Hossain, Rezia Wahid, Roxana Mariam, Saif Osmani, Santanu Das, Soumitra Mondal, and Tenzing Chakma are also highlighted in the gallery. 

Curated by ASM Rezaur Rahman, the exhibition is already a hit among the numerous visitors who were elated by the sensory experience. 

Muslin Festival 2016 is supported by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and organised by Drik and Bangladesh National Museum in partnership with Aarong. A cultural show at Ahsan Manzil on February 6 and a day-long discussion at Bangladesh National Museum on February 7 were also arranged as parts of the festival.

Exhibition: Muslin Revival

Date: February 5- March 3

Time: (Sat-Wed) 9.30am to 4.30pm; (Friday) 2.30pm- 7.30pm; (closed on Thursdays)

Venue: Nalinikanta Bhattashali Gallery, Bangladesh National Museum

By Afsin Ahmed