Kashmir Shawl

This Kashmir shawl was made in the Kashmir Valley in the 19th century out of wool. This shawl is red with a large border on all four sides, and with two additional buta shapes just inside the center pane, diagonally across from each other. It also has a plain red fringe on two sides. The shape of the butas, or paisleys, would indicate that this shawl was made during the Sikh period ( 1819-1846), most likely made for the European market.

Kashmir sashes and shawls originated in the Kashmir Valley, where they were woven by innovative textile specialists who figured out how to create incredibly warm, soft, and light cloth from the inner coat of goats living in the Changthang (Himalayan plateaux).

Kashmir production flourished under the Mughal emperors, especially Emperor Akbar and his son Jahangir, whose interest in the natural world combined with the colonial influx of European florilegia and herbals may have influenced shawl designers to include a variety of florals into these once plainly-designed textiles. Persian and European markets also exerted their influence in the patterns and imagery the shawl designers chose to pursue.