Manipur - Wangkhei phee weave
- Nidhi Shegokar
- Aug 28, 2023
- 1 min read
Wangkhei Phee is a translucent textile woven from fine white cotton yarn, traditionally crafted by women throughout the Indian state of Manipur. This fabric holds geographical indication (GI) protection and is especially popular among Manipuri women for occasions like weddings and festivals. It was historically created using muslin cloth for the Manipur Royal family and was produced in Wangkhei Colony, later expanding to various locations in Manipur.
The fabric's GI registration, confirmed under the Geographical Indications Act, covers Wangkhei Phee, Moirang Phee, and Shaphee Lanphee, all woven by Manipuri women. The fabric is characterised by its intricate designs, including Kheiroithek, Thangjing Tangkai, and KabokChaiba, with a Moirang Phee design along its longitudinal borders.
Wangkhei Phee is woven from fine white cotton yarn, giving it a transparent texture achieved through the close interlacing of weft and warp threads by women weavers. The yarn is derived from sources like "Lashing" (Cotton ball), "Kabrang" (Mulberry cocoon), and the bark of the local "Santhak" tree. Dyed using plant extracts, the yarn is sized with rice-based starch, stretched using bamboo sticks, and wound onto bobbins and pirns.
The fabric employs fine cotton yarn, with different thread counts for the warp and weft. The weaving process employs fly shuttle looms and throw shuttle looms, the latter creating two pieces joined by stitching to form the full fabric. Additional motifs are manually woven into the fabric, making it airy, see-through, and suitable for various luxury items like chadors, saris, and skirts.
Post-GI registration, a quality control agency was established to oversee the product's manufacturing by weavers.