This lightweight shawl was woven from extremely fine wool. In the region of Kashmir, wool was traditionally taken from the soft under-hair of the Himalayan goat. The shawl is made up of a number of separately woven pieces, a practice undertaken to speed up the labor-intensive process of making such shawls, as global demand for them exploded during the 19th century. The main design of this shawl features bota or droplet-like motifs organized in three rows. Each bota motif is composed of a colorful array of flowers and leaves, with additional vegetal motifs interspersed between them.
198.8 × 116 cm (78 1/4 × 45 11/16 in.)
Cotton
18th centuryIndianCotton
18th centuryIndianwool; twill tapestry weave, double-interlocked; supplementary discontinuous wefts
19th centuryIndianwool; twill tapestry weave, double-interlocked
18th-19th centuryIndianBrown and Indigo dye on cotton textile fibers
19th-20th centuryIndianwool, twill tapestry weave, double-interlocked (main field); embroidered; supplementary discountinuous wefts in the minor borders
19th centuryIndianPashmina wool (undercoat of cashmere goat) pile on a foundation of silk warps and cotton wefts
18th centuryIndianSilk on linen
19th centuryIndianFiber
19th centuryIndian