Description

This shawl is decorated with phulkari embroidery, a technique from the Punjab which is characterised by the use of darning stitch. The design is of densely worked roundels with chevron and lozenge patterning in gold, white and green; possibly representing highly abstracted flowers. Narrow side borders and wide end borders have concentric lozenge patterning, chiefly in gold, which covers the ground fabric completely. The design can be also known as a 'moon' pattern, associated with the Hazaras of Afghanistan.


The ground cloth is of cotton made in three longitudinal strips approximately 45 cm wide. The embroidery is in floss silk thread. One ground cotton length was probably added after the shawl was made as the fabric is less faded and the embroidery does not match across the join. On this panel there is additional embroidered decoration around one of the roundels.


This shawl was collected in India in the mid 1940s by an officer in the RAF. The collecter wrote in a letter home that this textile was from Afghanistan, although this may not be the case as most examples originate from India or Pakistan.

Physical characteristics

Category: Textile

Technique: Textile - Embroidered

Medium: cotton; silk

Object: height 130cm

Accession details

Accession number: ITC 2010.731

Accession date: 02/09/2010

Source: Gift