Article: Smithsonian festival showcases unique form of handwoven silk.(Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service)

WASHINGTON _ For the world's best perfumes, Paris is the place. For shoes, Italy. For rare and intricate silk saris, India reigns.

And the finest, most intricate Indian silks are the result of a family operation that will not sell its products outside India.

Americans can see this rare art form at the 36th annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival's ``The Silk Road'' exhibit that ends Sunday.

Master weaver Vinayak Salvi and his family are demonstrating the ancient art of Patan Patola. Their exquisite silk saris woven with intricate patterns and rich, deep colors are sold only through the family's store, Patan Patola Heritage in northern Gujarat, ...

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