cover image: Shawl

20.500.12592/8jvsvf

Shawl

Square Kashmir shawl with a design of cones primarily in reds, with an open ivory field. Each cone is 10 1/2 inches high, and is compartmented by a narrow border of floral vines. Currently the shawl has wide borders on two adjacent sides and narrow borders on the two remaining sides. It has been re-made from fragments of a long shawl. Originally each end would have had a wide border nine cones in width: one side of the square version has the full nine cone pattern, the other has seven cones. The two remaining cones exist as a separate fragment (1958-148-5b). The narrow guard border of a similar floral vine has been stitched to the two remaining sides. In this way the shawl could be folded diagonally to form the triangular shawl popular in the mid-19th century.
Collection
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection Textiles Department
Date published
ca. 1800
Dates
ca. 1800
Format
Medium: wool, cashmere Technique: tapestry weave, interlocking twill and embroidery Weave: single faced 2/2 twill tapestry, double interlocked, two color complimentary weave
Pages
H x W: 147 x 144 cm (57 7/8 x 56 11/16 in.)
Place Discussed
India
Provider
Smithsonian Institution
Published in
India
Reference
1958-148-5-a
Rights
Gift of Lea S. Luquer
Source
Digital Public Library of America https://dp.la/item/ba4ddc73abd64a0adfeff5f142c3ad33