Oriental Rugs Dictionary

Kashmir Shawl

Kashmir was famous for its beautiful woven shawls made of the fine goat’s wool called pashmina, woven in the distinctive double-interlocking tapestry weave style. Hangings, cushion covers, and some articles of clothing were also made in this technique, in which the piece was woven with bobbins or spools, with the weft colors inserted as required by the pattern, interlocking where two adjoining colors meet. Floral motifs were the most common decoration on the Kashmiri woven textiles, the most distinctive being the bota, a conelike design of a flower or shrub with a curving tip. In Early 19 Century these designs were copied on power looms in Paisley Scotland and near by locations and even in France. These loomed shawls looked about the same from various workshops therefore now a days it is almost impossible to determine the origins. Being Paisley Scotland dominant in the production the term Paisley is being used by all.

See Paisley Shawl

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