Physical description

Woman's cotton dress with silk embroidery in a style combining elements from several parts of the North-West Frontier Province and neighbouring Afghanistan. The 'phulkari'-type medallions recall the embroideries of Swat and Hazara, while bands of embroidery on the sleeves and the triangular inserts into the skirt suggest contact with Indus Kohistan. The intricately braided decoration on the neck is close to the type used by the Mangalli nomads of western Afganistan, who were traditionally also to be found on the Pakistan side of the border.

Place of Origin

North-West Frontier Province (made)

Date

early 20th century (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown

Materials and Techniques

Cotton embroidered with floss silk

Dimensions

Length: 102 cm

Descriptive line

Woman's embroidered cotton dress, Pakistan, 20th century.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

pp. 136, 137, ill. pl. 216
Colours of the Indus : costume and textiles of Pakistan / Nasreen Askari and Rosemary Crill. London: Merrell Holberton in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1997 Number: 1858940443

Materials

Cotton; Silk thread

Techniques

Embroidering

Categories

Clothing; Women's clothes; Textiles

Collection

South & South East Asia Collection