Kashmir Shawls Stole with Embroidery on Wool Fabric
At the heart of the Kashmir shawl lies its incomparable wool: wool so fine that centuries ago it entered the world's fashion lexicon by the name of "Cashmere", a texture of both infinite warmth and the supple drape of silk. Many attempts were made, and continue to be made, to replicate this texture by rearing shawl-goats elsewhere; but the complex process of spinning the yarn remains the speciality of the women of Kashmir, an art they have excelled in for generations. This delicate process, entirely done by hand, creates the basic material on which others will work their magic; the dyer, the warper, the weaver, the embroiderer - there are many separate artisans involved from start to finish, each in command of his craft, each turning his skills to the creation of a masterpiece that could take years to complete. It is no wonder, then that for centuries the Kashmir shawl has represented one of the highest points of artistic achievements in textiles, certainly in India if not in the world.
Shawl : The Honour of Indian Tradition
As new directions developed, embroiderey was used more often. In the 1860s. a combination of embroidery and weaving produced the dorukha or reversible shawls. One side was woven; its underside was trimmed of loose weft threads, and the pattern embroidered on it so that the shawl looked the same on both sides. Other combinations included a weave with added detailing done in embroider.
Between the fifth and sixth decades of the 19th century the export of Kashmir shawls to Europe more than doubled, but then followed a disastrous collapse. Several factors contributed. The Franco-Prussian war put an end to the lucrative French trade; the increasing availability of cheaper shawls from the looms of Lyons; Paisley and other centres made the shawl as a garment less exclusive, more common; and with the fickleness of fashion, the flow and drape of shawl. The Kashmir industry,heavily geared to the European market, crashed. To compound matters a terrible famine decimated the weaver population who "died like flies", their art lost forever.
It was a tragic end to a brilliant history, and it had equally tragic consequences. No longer were kani shawls, those marvels of the loom called "the jewels of Kashmir", woven.
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