Shawl

Object name

Shawl

Date made

Mid 19th century

Place made

Delhi

Description

Black woollen shawl heavily embroidered with colourful floral designs, made in Delhi in the mid-19th century.

Content description

A large black shawl made in Delhi in the mid-19th century. It is made of wool and heavily embroidered at each end with a dense floral design. The design runs around the edge of the entire scarf and features a repeating pattern in a variety of colours. The limited colour palette includes pale green foliage and flowers in cream, pale blue, gold, pale yellow, pale and dark pink, and burnt orange. The flower heads are largely rendered in satin stitches, whilst chain stitch has been used for stems. Inset at each end are three lozenge or paisley-shaped panels of foliage and flowers with sprays of foliage creating the curved edges. The paisley shape is frequently found as a motif on textiles from the Indian subcontinent, where they are also known by the name kolka or buta.

The central panel of plain black fabric appears to have been inserted at a later date, as the French seams are uneven and some of the embroidery has been folded into the seam. There is evidence of several areas of amateur darning amongst the embroidery as well as several small holes across the whole item. The longer edges are fraying in some places and the short edges have been left frayed as a decorative effect.

There are many similar floral shawls of wool and silk threads made by professional embroiderers in Delhi and now housed in museums in Britain and abroad. Shawls such as this one were often influenced by European taste and were made for the European export market.