A zari Kani pashmina shawl on an ivory ground, covered in a garden of curling vines, open flowers and leaves woven in maroon, dusty rose, slate and soft blue-grey. Pairs of parrots sit among the branches and swoop between them, and fine threads of zari catch the light across the field. The long sides carry a border of flame-shaped cones in maroon and grey, and each end opens into a deep palla of maroon and blue-grey arches, each framing a peacock with its tail sweeping down, before finishing in stripes of ivory, maroon, plum and powder blue.
The design
The bird-and-flower garden is one of the most loved layouts in Kashmiri weaving: a dense, even jaal across the field, with birds placed so the eye keeps finding them. Here the parrots fill the field and the peacocks are saved for the palla, where they stand in a row under the arches. On an ivory ground every colour reads clearly, so the drawing of each flower and feather shows at its finest.
How it is made
The pattern is not printed or embroidered onto the cloth. It is woven into the pashmina, colour by colour, with the zari carried through the weave alongside the coloured threads. Turn the shawl over and you will see the reverse of the weave, with the thread changes and zari floats visible. That is the honest back of a woven pattern, not a fault.
The colour
Ivory with maroon and blue-grey is soft and old-world, the kind of palette that looks like it has been in the family for years. It is light enough for a daytime event and elegant enough for an evening one, and sits beautifully over maroon, black, grey, navy or ivory.
Details
- Pashmina
- Kani pattern woven into the cloth, not printed or embroidered
- Ivory field with an all-over floral jaal and pairs of parrots among the vines
- Zari woven through the field and palla
- Flame-cone border along both sides; arched maroon and blue-grey palla with peacocks at each end
- Striped ends in ivory, maroon, plum and powder blue
- 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, ready to gift.
