What it is

This is a handwoven cloth made from two wild Indian silks. The base is Tussar — silk from wild silkworms of the Antheraea mylitta family, gathered from forest trees in eastern India. The accent is Muga — silk from Antheraea assamensis, native exclusively to the state of Assam in Northeast India, and famous worldwide for its naturally golden lustre.

Both silks are wild, meaning the silkworms feed on forest leaves rather than being raised on controlled diets indoors. Both have been spun and woven in India for centuries. When combined — either by blending the yarns or by running one as warp and the other as weft — the result is a cloth with the textured body of Tussar and the warm golden glow that Muga is loved for.

About Muga silk

Muga (pronounced moo-gah) is one of the rarest silks in the world. It is produced only in Assam, by silkworms that feed on the leaves of two specific Assamese trees — som (Persea bombycina) and soalu (Litsea polyantha). It cannot be produced anywhere else; attempts to rear Muga silkworms outside Assam’s climate have consistently failed.

Its defining character is its natural colour: a deep, glowing golden tone that no dye can replicate, and which deepens further with every wash. Pure Muga silk was historically reserved for Assamese royalty; today it remains central to traditional Assamese garments and was awarded Geographical Indication (GI) status by India in 2007 — meaning the name “Muga silk” is legally restricted to silk produced in Assam by traditional means.

About Tussar silk

Tussar is the wild silk of central and eastern India — from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, and West Bengal. The silkworms live on forest trees (arjun, asan, sal, saja), and their cocoons are gathered by tribal artisans. The silk is coarser than mulberry and the colour is naturally honey-gold. Tussar takes natural dye exceptionally well, and the slight slubs and irregularities in the yarn are part of what makes it distinctive.

Tussar is what gives this blend its body and texture. It is also what makes the cloth available and affordable: while Muga is restricted to Assam, Tussar is woven in clusters across several Indian states and supports a substantial network of weavers and forest economies.

How the blend is made

There are two common approaches. In the first, Tussar and Muga yarns are combined at the spinning stage to produce a single mixed yarn, which is then handwoven. In the second — more common for this cloth — one silk is used as the warp (the lengthwise threads on the loom) and the other as the weft (the threads woven across). The interplay produces the cloth’s subtle iridescence: Muga’s gold catches the light differently from Tussar’s honey, and the surface seems to shift colour gently as you turn it.

The weaving is done by hand on pit looms, mostly in Bengal and the eastern Indian silk-weaving belt. Output is slow: one to two metres of finished cloth per weaver per day.

The hand

Substantial but not heavy. The hand sits between pure Tussar (more textured, less lustrous) and pure Muga (smoother, more luminous). The surface has Tussar’s characteristic faint slubs; the light bouncing off it carries Muga’s warmer, more golden tone. Less drape than mulberry silk. More body than reeled silk. The cloth does not slip; it holds a tailored line.

Why it is worth its price

You are getting handwoven access to a silk you would otherwise have to travel to Assam to wear. That is the honest answer. The Muga in this cloth is genuine — we work with a partner weaver who sources it through the licensed Assamese supply chain — just in smaller proportion than a pure-Muga cloth, which would cost several times more and would not in many cases be exportable at all.

It is also a forest cloth twice over. Tussar supports tribal communities across central India whose livelihood depends on intact forest; Muga supports the silk economy of rural Assam. Both are produced without herding silkworms onto a single mulberry monoculture; both keep wild biodiversity attached to a livelihood.

How to care for it

• Dry-clean is the recommended first method, especially for dyed pieces.
• Hand-wash: after the cloth has settled, cool hand-wash with a silk-safe detergent is acceptable. Never bleach, never alkaline detergent.
• Never wring. Roll the garment in a clean dry towel to absorb water.
• Dry: lay flat in shade, or hang on a padded hanger. Direct sun will dull both silks.
• Iron: on the reverse, cool to warm, with a pressing cloth between iron and silk, while slightly damp.
• Storage: fold with acid-free tissue or hang on a padded hanger. Cedar or lavender protects against silk moths.
• The cloth improves with age. Muga’s lustre deepens with each wash — this is its defining property. Tussar mellows in colour. After two or three years, the cloth is more beautiful than the day you bought it.

Best worn as

Jackets, kurtas, dresses, scarves, stoles, light winter suiting. The cloth’s body suits structured tailoring; the golden tone reads as serious rather than flashy. It is an occasion cloth that does not look like an occasion cloth — it is just as appropriate over a cup of coffee as at a wedding. The natural colour works against most skin tones; it sits especially well on warm undertones.