Tussar

Tussar is the great wild silk of India, reeled from the cocoons of moths that feed on forest trees rather than cultivated mulberry. Its fiber is coarser, shorter, and naturally golden-tan or honey-brown, so the cloth is dry, textured, and richly slubbed rather than smooth and white like mulberry silk. Because the moths are wild and the cocoons often gathered after the moth emerges, tussar is sometimes called the more ethical silk, and its warm uneven luster makes it a favorite for saris, jackets, and furnishing.

Illustration: a wild silk reeling yard in a forest village in eastern India around 1900, golden tasar cocoons heaped in shallow baskets, simple reeling frames under a thatched open shed, the forest edge beyond, two workers seen at a distance from behind — A wild silk reeling yard in a forest village in eastern India around 1900, golden tasar cocoons heaped in shallow baskets, simple reeling frames under a thatched open shed, the forest edge beyond, two workers seen at a distance from behind.

Named for

From the Sanskrit and Hindi tasar, the shuttle or the wild silkworm cocoon.

Also known as

tussah, tasar, tussore

Common questions

What is Tussar made of?: Tussar is the great wild silk of India, reeled from the cocoons of moths that feed on forest trees rather than cultivated mulberry.
What is Tussar named after?: From the Sanskrit and Hindi tasar, the shuttle or the wild silkworm cocoon.