An article analyzing the development of pattern in Banaras (Varanasi) silk and gold brocades during the 19th and 20th centuries. It covers the terminology of brocade, broché and lancé, the shift from the jalla drawloom to the Jacquard, and the main motif types (buta, phulari, jhaldar trellis, shikargah hunting scenes, stripes and borders), tracing Mughal, Persian and Kashmiri influences and the effects of commercialization and western markets. It closes with footnotes, a bibliography and 21 plates of textiles, looms and designs with captions giving dates and repeat sizes.