Oriental Rugs Dictionary
Kashmir Shawl
Kashmir shawls are finely woven textiles produced in the Kashmir region of India, particularly during the 18th and 19th centuries. These shawls are known for their delicate weaving, soft wool (often pashmina), and intricate paisley (boteh) designs. Kashmir shawls became highly fashionable in Europe during the Victorian era and are considered important examples of luxury textile production. 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.
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