A Mughal court Kani shawl in Kashmiri pashmina on a deep crimson ground, woven with a mirrored palace scene: at each end a domed pavilion with a figure enthroned beneath a jewelled arch, attendants framed in the windows of the towers on either side, and below them a procession of horsemen, standard-bearers and women in flowing robes crossing a vermilion courtyard. Between the two palaces the field opens into a starry night garden of flowering trees and hanging lanterns, scattered with flecks of gold zari. The whole scene is framed by a wide border of curling paisleys in indigo, saffron and gold, with a band of small arches along each end.
The design
The scene is laid out like a palace seen from both ends at once: the same court, pavilions and procession repeated top and bottom, meeting in the garden at the centre. Worn draped, one palace falls at the front and the other across the back, so the shawl reads as a complete picture from any angle.
How it is made
The pattern is not printed or embroidered onto the cloth. It is woven into the Kashmiri pashmina, colour by colour, so the scene belongs to the fabric itself. Turn the shawl over and you will see the reverse of the weave: the same scene in softer, broken colour, with the thread changes visible. That is the honest back of a woven pattern, not a fault.
What to look for
Look closely and the scene keeps opening up: a rider turning in the saddle, a canopy carried above the procession, a figure watching from each tower window, zari catching the light between the flowers of the night garden. Figural court scenes are the statement end of the Kani tradition, the shawl worn to a wedding or a winter evening when you want the cloth itself to be the conversation.
Details
- Kashmiri pashmina
- Kani pattern woven into the cloth, not printed or embroidered
- Mirrored Mughal palace and procession scene on a crimson ground, with a starry garden at the centre
- Wide paisley border on all four sides, with an arched band at each end
- Flecks of gold zari through the field
- Approximately 45" × 85"
- Dry clean only by a specialist. Do not press zari directly, and keep away from rings, brooches and rough jewellery, which can catch the threads on the reverse
- Store folded, away from direct sunlight
One piece only. Slight irregularity in the weave is natural to woven work of this kind, not a fault.
Ships in Attan's branded box with a thank-you card. For a piece at this level we are happy to arrange a video call so you can see the shawl in hand before you buy. Message us on WhatsApp or Instagram.
