800-year-old art of Darayi-Bafi: Persian handicraft

Darayi-Bafi is one of the subcategories of the traditional textile industry, which is pursued in the Iranian province of Yazd.

Darayi is a Persian word, meaning “to tie and dye”. It is an old technique for painting fabric.

When it comes to Darayi-Bafi, the yarns are dyed before they are woven into fabrics.

The dying process is done with using chemical colors. However, in the past, natural pigments were used to dye the yarns; for example, Woad produced blue, Rubia and Cochineal produced red, tree barks and flowers produced yellow and minerals, and soil was used to produce black pigments.

Some consider the Darayi to have originated from Indonesia. The oldest remaining piece of Darayi belongs to Egypt and goes back to the 11th century. But in Iran, these fabrics were woven from a long time ago and their history in Yazd is known to be eight hundred years.

The Darayi fabrics are usually made with a width of ninety centimeters and a height of about thirty centimeters and are finally cut depending on their usage.

Scarves, beddings, tablecloths, and bundles are some of the usages of Darayi.

The history of Yazd, which is known for its atmospheric alleyways, wind-catchers, and mud-brick houses, has entwined with the history of its textile industry.

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