Embroidered Shawls

Embroidery Shawl

The embroidery of Kashmir probably deserves a volume by itself for sheer range and delicacy. Its application is so varied, ranging from shawls to wall hangings to rugs to garments. The craftsmen - and this is one of the areas where embroidery is a male as well as a female art - are inspired by the beauties of nature that surround them and turn to motifs such as the "ambia" (mango) and "botch" (flowers) and the chinar leaves. Delicately shaded pastels on white or pale grounds are embroidered in a fine and detailed manner. Among the best known styles are the sozni, generally worked in panels along the sides of a shawl, using a stitch like stem stitch in an outline form. Sozni is often done so skilfully that the motif appears on both sides of the shawl thus naming it "dorukha" or with two faces.

embroidery Designs

Ari, or hook embroidery done with an awl, the famous crewel work of Kashmir, employs motifs of flower designs finely worked in concentric rings of chain stitch. A range of colours is used for this art which decorates articles such as cushion covers, bed covers and table cloths.

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