This detail shows the long edge of a sari, perhaps the best known item of dress from Asia. Many women who live in the Indian subcontinent, or who have their roots there, continue to wear this draped garment and it is subject to frequent fashion changes and regional variations. This sari is an example of cross-cultural interchange. It was made in China for the Parsi community, today a much-dispersed group of people originating in present-day Iran. They settled first in Gujarat where they retained their distinctive culture and set of beliefs although Parsi women adopted the sari there. The black ground of this piece, together with the use of Chinese embroidery, are elements that distinguish it specifically as a Parsi sari. Silk gauze, as here, was a favoured material and purple as well as black, was a commonly occurring colour. In many case, the edging on these Parsi pieces is applied separately, yards of satin ribbon being embroidered by Chinese artisans for this express purpose. Here however, the edging is embroidered straight onto the sari silk.