Moonlit Silver Laleh Gyasar Pillow

This handwoven silk cushion is woven from mulberry silk with a viscose brocade weft and metallic zari thread, its pattern worked directly into the cloth on the loom — never printed or applied on top. That construction gives it a luminous, almost three-dimensional surface and a satisfying weight that mass-produced cushions lack. Woven in the Gyasar style of Banarasi brocade, it is a genuine statement piece with centuries of craft behind it — the kind of object that anchors a room and makes an unforgettable gift.

This silk cushion is made from mulberry silk with a viscose brocade weft and metallic zari thread, and finished with a solid coordinating silk panel on the second face. The mulberry silk gives it its sheen and drape; the viscose brocade and metallic zari form the luminous, slightly raised pattern and give the cloth its characteristic weight; and the second face is a solid silk with corded piping.

Yes — this silk cushion is dual-sided, with two finished, display-ready faces. One face carries the Gyasar brocade panel in full; the other is a solid coordinating silk with corded piping, so it can be turned to either look. Both faces are finished to the same standard — a deliberate choice, not a feature of mass-produced cushions.

Yes, entirely. This handwoven silk cushion is made on a traditional handloom in Varanasi — the pattern is interlaced into the cloth on the loom itself, not printed, embroidered, or applied afterward. A single panel can take a skilled weaver days to weeks depending on its complexity. Power-loom imitations of Banarasi silk exist and mimic the look, but lack the depth, weight, and thread irregularity of genuine handwoven cloth.

Gyasar is a style of Banarasi brocade from Varanasi, woven in the tradition of Kimkhab — the richest, heaviest category of Indian silk brocade, in which dense metallic zari and a viscose brocade weft are woven into a mulberry silk ground. The tradition has roots in the Mughal era and is carried on by master weavers (karigar) whose skills pass down through families over generations.

Zari is the metallic thread used in Indian brocade, traditionally fine silver wire wrapped around a silk core. In this cushion the zari is woven into the cloth on the loom alongside a viscose brocade weft, so the pattern is structural — part of the fabric itself — rather than embroidered or printed on top. That is what gives the cushion its shimmer, its weight, and its relief-like, three-dimensional quality.

The clearest tell is the back of the cloth: genuine handwoven Banarasi shows loose, irregular thread floats on the reverse of the weave, while a power-loom imitation has a uniform, mechanical back. Authentic cloth also has a distinct weight and drape. The counterfeit trade — power-loom Banarasi made in Surat and sold as Varanasi-woven — is widespread, which is exactly why Banarasi silk carries legal protection.

Yes. Banaras Brocades and Sarees hold a Geographical Indication (GI) under Indian law, which restricts the name to silk genuinely woven in the Varanasi region using traditional techniques. This cushion is woven within that protected tradition. The GI exists specifically to defend authentic Banarasi weaving against the flood of power-loom imitations.

This handwoven silk cushion should be dry-cleaned to protect the mulberry silk, viscose brocade, and metallic zari. Keep it out of prolonged direct sunlight, which can fade silk and weaken metallic thread, and avoid machine or hand washing, which can distort the weave and tarnish the zari. Store it flat or gently rolled rather than sharply folded. Cared for this way, it will last for decades.

This cushion is woven in very small runs — there is no factory line, and the weaver's time and the available silk colourways limit how many can exist. Once a colourway is finished or the weaver moves to a new design, it is not reproduced. Limited edition simply describes the reality of fine handweaving here, not a marketing device.

Beautifully. Banarasi brocade carries centuries of ceremonial significance in India — historically the cloth of weddings, royal courts, and milestones — so this cushion makes a gift with genuine meaning as well as beauty. It ships within 1–2 business days, arrives gift-ready, and is delivered with duties fully covered for recipients in the US and Canada.