Tilfi introduces a new chapter in its ongoing dialogue with heritage craft:Shikargah Tales. Infused with the brand’s distinctive ingenuity, these new sarees reinterpret a classical Banarasi artform in both form and philosophy. Shifting the narrative from scenes of the hunt to a meditation on the wild, the collection portrays three predators, leopards, snow leopards, and tigers, in quiet confluence with their natural terrains. Bold in design yet contemplative in spirit, the textiles transform observation into woven poetry.
The Legacy of Shikargah
An integral part of Banarasi craft traditions since the 17th and 18th centuries, Shikargah originated in Persia and was perfected under the Mughals. Once woven as lavish panoramas of royal hunting scenes with flora, fauna, and mythical beasts, these textiles embodied both grandeur and power.
Tilfi’s Camouflage Shikargah
Tilfi reimagines this storied legacy through weaves that celebrate balance rather than conquest. In these drapes, predators are concealed within terrains of snow, rock, and foliage, their forms revealing themselves only to an attentive gaze. Each of the three sarees - Majestic Leap, Secrets of the Snow, and Empress of the Wild - captures a distinct rhythm of the wilderness, rendered in palettes drawn from nature’s own hues.
The artistry lies in the seamless interplay of weave and design. Through the inventive use of the Banarasi Zari Vasket technique, motifs emerge with quiet precision: snow dissolves into stone, stripes into grass, and branches into camouflage. The result is a textile that is at once meticulous and meditative. The loom translates the ingenuity of nature into weave, and design transforms heritage into contemporary masterpieces.
The Campaign
The accompanying campaign explores camouflage as both craft and metaphor, evoking concealment through mirrors and reflections. Predators and muse alike appear only in fragments, revealed to those who linger, echoing the woven terrains of the sarees themselves.
An Enduring Dialogue
With Shikargah Tales, Tilfi continues its endeavour to honour age-old traditions while reinvigorating them with fresh perspective. These textiles embody the brand’s philosophy: weaves where heritage and imagination converge, engaging meaningfully with the present while holding reverence for the past.
