Assam: Land of the Golden Silk - Part 2

(Our 2008 visit to Assam in search of three types of silk)

In India it comes from Antheraea mylitta. We've gone with the spelling "Tussar" but you'll also find Tussah, Tusseh, Tasar, Tussore, Tusser etc. Dr. John Feltwell in his book The Story of Silk (1990) tells us that "Tusseh is the Hindustani for shuttle" and suggests that trade in Tussar silk may predate that of Bombyx. Tussar is also found in China, Antheraea peryyni , and Japan Antheraea yamamai . It is sometimes known as oak silk or oak tussar after its favourite food.

The moths are, quite simply, beautiful. They have a 15 cm wingspan and the eye-spots are clear (which is very unusual and hard to show in a photo). These pictures were the first we took in Assam. We enquired into the life cycle of the insect as we keep finding statements about the unsuitability of Tussah for domestication in books and we wanted to know first hand why this was so. For example, in our library we have a thin volume titled simply Silk from Macclesfield, Cheshire, written by Peter Gaddum in 1947. It states:

"In the early part of the season cocoons are collected from the jungle and eggs from the moths that emerge are gummed on long strips of paper, which are then hung on suitable trees, where they hatch quite naturally. A barrier of some sort is coiled around the trunks to prevent the caterpillars from wandering and here they collect when a tree has been stripped of foliage, to be removed to another by the peasants. During the larval stage, which occupies up to seven weeks, guard is kept against the insect's natural enemies such as bats, birds and beetles, and on completion the cocoons are harvested like fruit."

And indeed, this is exactly what we had found when we visited Orissa in 1999.

The cocoons are not like those of other silk moths, they are almost like eggshells and they have a very distinct stem where the cocoon is attached to the branch. The cocoons would be the size of a very small chicken egg, maybe the size of a quail egg. Each one is a slightly different colour depending on what the insect ate. Some are light green, others are yellow, some are grey and others almost white. The dyers among us will appreciate that the shades of the cocoons (the silk) are the result of tannins in the leaves ingested by the larvae.

When we looked into the cultivation of Tussah in Assam we found something a little different from what we found in Orissa ...

Next >>

It is early afternoon on the 24th of December. Here in the Maiwa Loft, the rush of our morning meetings is over and we are picking up on some of the excitement going on in the stores below. In a few hours we'll close up and leave to spend time with friends and family. We'd like to share this feeling. We'd like to bottle up the magic and enthusiasm in the air if we could, and distribute it to everyone.

We wish you all success in your journeys. Keep in touch.

Maiwa

Introduction

The nature of our work takes us far away from our Vancouver home. But we are enthusiastic travellers, taken by the pleasures of life on the road, by the very real need we feel for research and documentation, by our meetings with extraordinary artisans and cultures, and by the purpose given to our lives by these quests that we have set for ourselves. At times like this we wish we had the ability to speak in the voices of some of the great travel writers. We would like to be able to convey the subtle details of what we have seen; to be able to more fully convey the character of some of the people we have met; and most importantly, to be able to take you the reader along with us.

At the close of 2008 we went on a research trip to India, Cambodia and Mexico. It is always surprising to us how quickly the fruits of our travels are shared. In India we started in Assam with research into Muga and other wild silks. The visit led directly to the natural dye workshop held in February 2009. We also visited the fields and facilities used to farm organic cotton in order to see first-hand where our cotton was from. In Cambodia we met for the first time Mr. Morimoto - who established the Institute for Khmer Traditional Textiles (IKTT) and was a presenter at the 2009 Symposium. In Mexico we laid the groundwork for a group visit. In addition we re-established connections with artisans working with caracol and cochineal. For the first time we visited dyers, weavers and artisans working in the Chiapas region. We were so impressed we could hardly wait to get back.

With the Symposium wrapped up and the year drawing to a close we are preparing a series of posts to share the details of our 2008 trip. Now, a year later, we can see how all the decisions we made on that trip have played out.

Maiwa 2008 Research Trip
(If you start with the first one, they are linked in order.)

Assam: Land of the Golden Silk
Looking for Three Silks
Tussar Silk in Orissa
Tussar Silk in Assam

If you're a regular Maiwa customer you may have a couple of theses coupons squirreled away somewhere. If so, this is the last week that you can redeem them on a piece of furniture from Maiwa East. Maiwa East is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10 - 5. Sunday we're open 11 - 5. We've included the original promotion below.


We ran this promotion last year and were very happy with the public's response. Often when people pass through the doors of our showroom/warehouse known as Maiwa East they say. "Ohhh my goodness! I never knew this was here." Hmmm, thought we. How could we change that?

Our solution was the Three Store Special. A little motivation, a little savings, a lot of amazement as more people cross the threshold. Here's the obligatory fine print.

A discount coupon is given out for each $100 spent before taxes at the Maiwa Handprints or Maiwa Supply stores. Coupons are given out at time of purchase only and are not given for amounts less than $100. Coupons are not given for sales made through the Maiwa website.

Coupons may be redeemed for $20 off a furniture purchase greater than $200 made at Maiwa East - 1310 Odlum Dr. Vancouver. Coupons may be collected and used in combination. Coupons will be deducted from price of goods before taxes. Coupons are not valid on discounted or sale items. Coupons are valid for furniture only. No cash value.
Coupons expires December 20, 2009.

Our reviews of the symposium events concludes with this post on the Wrap Party. Our auctions have become something of a sensation. This year in addition to complete outfits of Maiwa clothing, some great pieces of furniture, collections of dyes and supplies for the budding (or accomplished) artisan, books, and leather bags; we had Qiviuk sweaters from Qiviuk Boutique and shawls from Bappa Biswas's Bai Lou. All in all we had over 30 separate lots up for auction that raised over eleven thousand dollars for the Maiwa Foundation. The auction moves fast, is full of excitement and is a wonderful opportunity to get a great deal or just participate in the magic of an auction.

All sales at the Maiwa store were also donated to the Maiwa Foundation and this raised an additional four thousand dollars. As ever we had the raffle girls: Dani and Sophena who drew lots for a collection of door prizes. It wasn't all about highly motivated fundraising though, we also had a chance to cut some time on the dance floor groovin' to the sounds of Jamie Dale and Midnite Drive.

All too soon the evening was over and we were stacking chairs, and that was the end of the Maiwa Textile Symposium 2009. It was a high water mark for us, the best Symposium ever. Did you attend the event? Comments are welcome.

Our latest video podcast just went up.

Part 2 -Presentation, Question & Answer
Ashoke Chatterjee

In part two, Ashoke Chatterjee presents the remainder of his lecture and answers questions from the audience. Part one contained the visiuals and the first part of Mr. Chatterjee's presentation. Part two is audio only. Mr. Chatterjee presented his lecture via satallite from Ahmedabad, India, after he was denied a visa to visit Canada.

From the presentation: "Human life is ultimately nourished and sustained by consumption. Abundance of consumption is no crime, it has in fact been the life blood of much human advance. The real issue is not consumption itself, but its patterns and effects. Consumption patterns today must be changed to advance human development tomorrow. Human development paradigms must aim at enlarging and improving consumer choices, but in ways that promote human life."

The visa denial is still making news. On December 4, 2009, the Vancouver edition of the Globe and Mail (pg A17) ran an opinion piece by Rick Salutin on the conservative government. The story, which claims the conservative government has "a meanness problem" makes specific mention of Ashoke Chatterjees visa denial. Follow the link for the full text of the piece. Rick Salutin Globe and Mail.

For more information on the visa denial as well as the full text of Charllotte Kwon's introduction please see the Maiwa Blog post The Real Barriers to Trade.

When the visa was first denied Maiwa made several attempts to contact the Canadian High Commission. We have not heard a response yet. Here is our formal letter of protest to Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. Comments are welcome.

[The signed original of this letter is also sent on our letterhead via Canada Post]

The Honourable Jason Kenney
Minister of Citizenship,
Immigration and Multiculturalism.


We note from the press releases issued by your office that the government and your office in particular is enthusiastic to encourage trade with India. We are greatly encouraged by this and wish to commend your office for its leadership in this regard.

We have been actively involved in trading with India for over twenty years. We deal with craftspeople and artisans from Kerala to Uttaranchal and from Bengal to Gujarat. India’s craft sector is the second largest employer in the country, second only to agriculture. In terms of a Canadian presence working with Indian artisans, it would be difficult to find an organization that has the scope and depth of presence that Maiwa does.

To give you some background information. Our company, Maiwa, in addition to it’s trade relationship, actively pursues education and promotion of India’s cultures, handcrafts and exceptional artisans. Maiwa mounted an exhibition of Embroidery from India’s Kutch Desert at the Vancouver Museum. The exhibit was held over, broke attendance records, and subsequently travelled internationally. We have produced four feature length documentaries on crafts, all of which feature Indian artisans prominently. Our textile symposium, which runs every second year, is the most comprehensive event of its kind in the world, drawing presenters and participants from Europe, Africa, Asia, as well as North and South America. Maiwa’s reputation in India is considerable. We are known for our commitment, knowledge sharing and ethical practices.

It is this reputation, which permitted us to ask Indian dignitary Ashoke Chatterjee to be a presenter at the 2009 Maiwa Textile Symposium. It was a proud moment for Maiwa, Vancouver, and Canada when he agreed.

It was, however, with considerable embarrassment and disbelief, that we learned that Mr. Chatterjee’s application for a visa to visit Canada had been rejected. Mr. Chatterjee was good enough to provide us with a copy of the rejection and we were appalled. A check mark was made in the box beside the statement:

“I am not satisfied that you have a legitimate business purpose in Canada, and therefore I do not consider you to be a genuine temporary resident who would leave Canada.” (Application U091000177)

We must protest in the strongest possible terms to you, Minister, to your office, and to the corresponding departments managing visa applications in India.

We understand the need to secure the nations borders and the need to maintain control over visa applications. However, the decision is absurd in light of the reputation of Maiwa Handprints Ltd., the Maiwa Textile Symposium and Mr. Chatterjee himself. There exists a very large binder with information substantiating the erroneous nature of the rejection. All criteria stipulated as necessary for a visa application were met. Yet the application was denied. The decision final and not open to appeal.

The rejection has caused considerable financial hardship, yet well above any concerns for our expense is the irreparable harm that has been done to our reputation and trade relations. And we would emphasize, the reputation and trade relations of Canadians. It takes years of groundwork to establish goodwill and corporate equity among our trading partners in India. Canadians are now seen to have offered a thoughtless rejection to an individual whom they (quite rightly) hold in high regard for his tireless work in the craft sector and for his long list of achievements in humanitarian areas.

Mr. Chatterjee’s development experience includes consultancies and training conducted on behalf of the National Institute of Design, National Drinking Water Mission (Govt. of India), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (Govt. of India, New Delhi), Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council (Geneva), National AIDS Control Organization (Govt. of India, New Delhi), UNICEF (India and New York), UNFPA (New Delhi), World Conservation Union (IUCN, Geneva), National Conservation Strategy of Pakistan (Islamabad), World Bank (New Delhi), Ford Foundation (New Delhi), Gujarat AIDS Prevention & Control Unit (GAP, Ahmedabad), Centre for Environment Education (Ahmedabad), Department of Health (Government of Gujarat), and on behalf of several NGOs working on health and environmental issues.

We can only assume that this visa rejection was a deeply unfortunate error. In this light we ask your office to make a concerted effort to facilitate the removal of the denial from Mr. Chatterjee’s passport. We also ask that steps be taken to introduce greater access to the visa application process. The unfortunate international consequences of this situation (for Maiwa, Mr. Chatterjee, and our international reputation) could have been avoided if there were a means to contact a visa application officer.

We look forward to a reply from your office.