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The shawls made in Kashmir
occupy a pre-eminent place among textile products; and it is to them and to
their imitations from Western looms that specific importance attaches. The Kashmir shawl is characterized by the elaboration of its
design, in which the "cone" pattern is a prominent feature, and by
the glowing harmony, brilliance, depth, and enduring qualities of its colours.
The basis of these excellences is found in the very fine, soft, short, flossy
under-wool, called pashm or pashmina, found on the shawl-goat, a variety of
Capra hircus inhabiting the elevated regions of Tibet. There are several varieties
of pashm, but the finest is a strict monopoly of the maharaja of Kashmir. Inferior pashm and Kirman wool — a fine soft
Persian sheep's wool — are used for shawl weaving at Amritsar
and other places in the Punjab, where colonies
of Kashmiri weavers are established. Of shawls, apart from shape and pattern,
there are only two principal classes: (1) loom-woven shawls called tiliwalla,
tilikar or kani kar — sometimes woven in one piece, but more often in small
segments which are. sewn together with such precision that the sewing is quite
imperceptible; and (2) embroidered shawls — amlikar — in which over a ground of
plain pashmina is worked by needle a minute and elaborate pattern.
The Kashmir valley is
known for its shawls throughout the world. Kashmir
shawls are mainly of three types- wool, pashmina and shahtoosh. They differ on
the basis of the fabric used to make them. Simultaneously, all these shawls
differ to a great extent in their prices also. The woolen shawls are the most
affordable, being within reach of the common man. While, the shahtoosh shawls
are the most expensive, usually a one-in-a-lifetime purchase. The pashmina
shawls fall in between. Have a look at different types of Kashmiri shawls
yourself!
Woolen Shawls
The woolen shawls of Kashmir have beautiful
embroidery work done on them. The price of the woolen shawls depends upon the
type of wool used and the fineness of the embroidery. Kashmiri wool, known as
raffel, is 100 percent pure and the embroidery done is quite unique to the
valley.
Pashmina Shawls
Kashmir Pashmina shawl is one of the most popular shopping items of the state.
The shawls are adorned with exquisite embroidery and are extremely soft. The
main types of embroidery done on the Pashmina shawls are sozni, papier-mache
and aari. Sozni, needlework in a panel on the sides of the shawl, uses abstract
designs or stylized paisleys and flowers as motifs. Papier-mache and needlework
is done either in broad panels on either side along the breadth of a shawl or
covers the entire surface of a shawl. Motifs consist of flowers and leaves
outlined in black. Aari is hook embroidery that makes use of flower design for
its motifs. |
