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Shawl

third quarter of 19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Shawl embroidered with multi-coloured wools with a pictorial map of Srinagar. The background consists of rectangles of twill-weave wool, seamed together. On this ground the embroidery has been worked in fine wools, mainly in darn-stitch, satin stitch and stem-stitch, creating on the surface the effect of a woven design. An embroidered Persian inscription is set at regular intervals round the border, and further inscriptions are scattered among the buildings.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Wool embroidered with woollen thread
Brief description
Embroidered wool map-shawl, Kashmir, India, third quarter of the 19th century.
Physical description
Shawl embroidered with multi-coloured wools with a pictorial map of Srinagar. The background consists of rectangles of twill-weave wool, seamed together. On this ground the embroidery has been worked in fine wools, mainly in darn-stitch, satin stitch and stem-stitch, creating on the surface the effect of a woven design. An embroidered Persian inscription is set at regular intervals round the border, and further inscriptions are scattered among the buildings.
Dimensions
  • Length: 90in
  • Width: 78in
Mounting materials (velcro sausages etc) are in SRT 85/5
Gallery label
MAP SHAWL Never intended to be worn, this 19th-century embroidery depicts the city of Srinagar in Kashmir. Lake Dal and the river Jhelum are visible, as are the main mosque, fort and many smaller buildings. Maharaja Ranbir Singh of Jammu and Kashmir, who may be the haloed figure in a boat (upper left), probably commissioned the shawl. Map shawl Pashmina (goat-hair) embroidered with pashmina Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, about 1870 Gift of Mrs Estelle Fuller through the Art Fund V&A: IS.31-1970(03/10/2015-10/01/2016)
Credit line
Gift of Mrs Estelle Fuller through The Art Fund
Object history
Registered File number 1970/3190.
Given in 1970.
Subject depicted
Place depicted
Bibliographic references
  • J.B. Harley and David Woodward, eds., The History of Cartography. Volume Two, Book One. Cartography in the Traditional Islamic and South Asian Societies, University of Chicago Press, 1992, pl. 33 p. 433.
  • Indian embroidery / Rosemary Crill ; photography by Richard Davis. London: V&A Publications, 1999 Number: 185177310X, 1851772944 (pbk.) pp.48-49, pl.32.
  • Stronge, S. "The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms", V&A, 1999 cat. no. 195, p. 237
  • The Kashmir shawl / by John Irwin. London: H. M. Stationery Office, 1973, c1974 Number: 0112901646 p. 55, pls 42-44
Collection
Accession number
IS.31-1970

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Record createdNovember 13, 2002
Record URL
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