A fine Kashmiri pashmina Kani shawl on a deep claret ground, scattered with small blue and gold flower sprays across an open field and framed on all four sides by a wide border of full-blown roses in blue, gold and cream, with a narrow figured edge running outside it.
Kani is one of Kashmir's traditional shawl techniques. The pattern isn't printed or embroidered onto the cloth — it is built into the weave itself, colour by colour, using small wooden bobbins called kanis, following a coded pattern script. It is slow, careful loom work, and no two pieces come out the same.
The flowers here are the point of interest. Where most Kani work is built on the stylised paisley, this shawl is drawn in naturalistic roses — shaded petals, turned leaves, blooms at different stages on the same stem. Shading a rose means changing colour within a single petal rather than filling a shape, which asks more of the weave than a paisley does.
Set against the open claret field, the borders carry the whole design. Very little happens in the middle, which is a deliberate choice — it lets the shawl sit under a heavily worked outfit without the two competing, and it keeps the eye on the edges, where the work is.
Details
- Fine Kashmiri pashmina
- Kani woven on the loom, not embroidered or printed
- Scattered floral field with a wide rose border on all four sides
- Approx. 40" × 80"
- Dry clean only
- Handwoven in Kashmir, India
Each shawl is one of a kind. Slight irregularity in the weave is inherent to handloom work, not a fault.
Ships in Attan's branded box with a thank-you card, ready to gift.
