Fabric
Category
Textiles
Date
Unknown
Materials
Textile
Measurements
1470 mm (Width); 3190 mm (Length)
Order this imageCollection
Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion
NT 548704
Summary
Woven Kashmir pattern shawl circa 18th century. This large Kashmir shawl is likely to have been hand woven in India, the pattern is a style which uses the ‘boteh’ or ‘buta’, a curved teardrop motif. It is thought that the original boteh design was from Persia (modern Iran) and was the stylised merging of a floral spray and a Cyprus tree, a Zoroastrian symbol of life and eternity. Some sources believe it to have been adopted in India in the 1400s through cultural, religious and trade exchanges between the regions. Following the import of Kashmir shawls to the UK in the 18th and 19th centuries, this pattern was copied by British weavers and became more popularly known as ‘paisley’ when shawls with the buta design began being produced in Paisley in Scotland. We believe this shawl was woven in one piece from pashmina or shahtoosh wool, the fine quality of the weave and the intricacy of the pattern denotes a high-quality item. The colours and design are believed to be typical of Kashmir shawls that were exported to the European market. However, the large size of this piece is perhaps less suited to the shawl worn about the shoulders by fashionable women in 18th century Europe and more suited to wrapping up against the cold weather conditions of northern India.
Full description
This large Kashmir shawl is likely to have been hand woven in India, the pattern is a style which uses the ‘boteh’ or ‘buta’, a curved teardrop motif. It is thought that the original boteh design was from Persia (modern Iran) and was the stylised merging of a floral spray and a Cyprus tree, a Zoroastrian symbol of life and eternity. Some sources believe it to have been adopted in India in the 1400s through cultural, religious and trade exchanges between the regions. Following the import of Kashmir shawls to the UK in the 18th and 19th centuries, this pattern was copied by British weavers and became more popularly known as ‘paisley’ when shawls with the buta design began being produced in Paisley in Scotland. We believe this shawl was woven in one piece from pashmina or shahtoosh wool, the fine quality of the weave and the intricacy of the pattern denotes a high-quality item. The colours and design are believed to be typical of Kashmir shawls that were exported to the European market. However, the large size of this piece is perhaps less suited to the shawl worn about the shoulders by fashionable women in 18th century Europe and more suited to wrapping up against the cold weather conditions of northern India.
Provenance
An item from the Pamela Ward collection, left to the National Trust in the will of Miss Ward in 1994