44.5cm x 30.5cm This delicately woven set of sabai grass table mats has been crafted by artisans from West Bengal. Beautiful and eco-friendly, this set is also food-safe and very low maintenance.
Sabai grass is a fine natural fiber that can be safely dyed. This grass is found in abundance in the forest fringe areas of West Bengal, and is now bringing about a silent revolution. The craftsmen have a practice of dyeing the Sabai strands with natural, vegetable dyes or Azo-free colors to add a touch of drama to the offerings. The process of making a sabai grass product involves cutting the strands, bundling them, mixing colors in the right proportion, soaking the strands in the boiling water with the dye and then drying them in the sun. These steps can take several days before the actual weaving starts. Skilled artisans employ strands of varying lengths for weaving, interlocking each strand dexterously and hand-stitching parts that need further reinforcement.