Shawls
Kashmir shawls
The English word shawl is derived from the Persian word shal, meaning woven woolen fabric. The Kashmir shawl developed over 300 years, through four different periods of foreign political rule. These were: The Mughals The Afghans The Sikhs The Dogras Each culture brought its own unique contribution.
Historical references
Documentary Proof is in Ain-i-Akbari and Tuzuk-iJanangiri.
Zain ul Abidin(1420-1470) was the father and chief patron of Kashmir shawls ,as recorded in the history of Kashmir Jaina Rajtarangini. Moorcroft has recorded in 1821 that 1500 pieces were stitched together to make one shawl. The shoulder mantle or shawl had been in existence, in a variety of forms, from the most ancient times.
Traditionally the most valued shawls were composed of threads of delicate wool from the underbelly of the wild Tibetan mountain goat Capra hircus.
some other wild Animals found in Himalayan Tibet mountains are Shapo Bharal Himalayan Ibex Tibetan shephards dog
Fleece is sometimes imported from nomadic Kirghiz tribes and from Yarkand and Khotan. Division of labour Spinners Dyers Specialists Warp Makers Warp Dressers Warp threader Pattern Drawer ( Naqqash) Colour Caller (tarah guru) Pattern Master (Talimguru)
Kani shawl on loom
The appellation Kani shawl, as it is popularly known in Kashmir, originally meant simply a woven shawl. During the course of time the term kani is defined as a type of weave in which the design is formed by the manipulation of small wooden sticks called tojlis. The tojlis interlock the respective colour threads as they complete each weft of the shawl. The shawls measured five by two and a half feet and were ornamented at both ends with a sort of embroidery made in the loom a foot in height.
Jamawar Shawl, Kashmir, 19th C
Shah pasand
Some of the butas popular in kashmir shawls.
Layouts in shawls
Doshala- shawls in pair Shala phiri- seconds Hulwan- plain fabric for turbans Shala sada- edged in colour Shala hashiyadar Shala Kanguradar Chand dar- Moon shawl Chauthidar- four quarter moons Kunj bute dar- flower bunches in four corners Alifdar-Green sprigs on white Kuddar- cone pattern Khokher ButaKhirki butaReja buti Jaal dar Charbagan- four colour fabrics joined and embroidered Khali Matan
Kasaba/ Rumal were square pieces specially for the European buyer. Shawls were designed keeping the buyers in view ,hence shawls were categorized as:s Tareh-Armeni ( persia) Tareh Rumi (Turkey) Tareh farangi (Europe)
Colours
Yellow zard, White sufed, Black mushki, Blue ferozi, Purple uda, Crimson gulnar, Scarlet Kirmiz.
Motifs
Apple blossom, chinar tree and leaves, almonds, tulips,paisley, Walnut fruits and leaves.s
Shahtush Shawls
Tus was an extremely fine goats wool which came from the wild ibex. Its natural colour is brown, grey or white or various shades in between. The Tus shawl is unrivalled for its lightness, warmth and softness. In former times people folded these shawls in four folds and wore them for a very long time.Nowadays they are generally worn without folds and merely thrown over the shoulders. chirahs (turbans) and fautahs (loinbands) were also made using this technique. These shawls are now banned.
As the Mughal kingdom began to collapse and Kashmir came under the Afghan rule, the shawl trade began to focus increasingly on the west, while the Indian market fell into decline. The Afghan invasion in 1753 by Ahmed Shah Abdali put an end to the Mughal rule on Kashmir. Shawl weaving continued even during those difficult times and accounted for a significant portion of Kashmirs revenue.
Decline of Kashmir shawls
The darkest period in Kashmirs history occurred during the regime of the Afghan governor Haji Dad Khan(1776-1783). He imposed heavy tax on the shawl weaving trade. He began the system of dagshawl- the excise-tax on shawls. Thus weavers reduced in number due to poverty. The Dogra prince, Raja Gulab Singh, was given the rule of Kashmir by the British under the Treaty of Lahore in 1846.
The artisans and the weavers of shawls were in a miserable condition due to taxes.
This gave rise to embroidered shawl era. Armenian buyer Khwaja Yusuf started the trend for embroidered amli shawls.
Indian weavers were not able to keep up the pace with the fast changing European fashion. In scotland, Jaquard machines were used to make french paisley shawls imitating the indian shawl.
Later interpretations in French paisley shawls showing European Flowers.
Contemporary embroidered shawls
Contemporary embroidered shawls
Contemporary Jacquard shawl
