Shirt thumbnail 1
Not on display

Shirt

mid 20th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This woman's tunic was made by a woman of the Lohana farming community in the arid plains of Sindh, in southern Pakistan. These densely embroidered garments are made for weddings, but are also subsequently worn as part of everyday wear to indicate the wearer's married status. The stiff, embossed style of embroidery is particularly associated with the village of Thano Bula Khan, and this distinctive work is used on smaller items such as caps and bags as well as on these elaborately decorated shirts. The rigid effect of the embroidery is also increased by the addition of pieces of mirror-glass into the embroidered surface. The back of the garment is divided into six panels, each less solidly embroidered than the front and is therefore more flexible.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk embroidered with silk and cotton thread, gold-wrapped thread and mirrors
Brief description
Woman's wedding shirt (kurta) of silk embroidered with silk and cotton thread, Sindh, mid 20th century
Physical description
Woman's wedding shirt (kurta) of silk embroidered with silk and cotton thread, gold-wrapped thread and mirrors.
Dimensions
  • Length: 91cm
  • Across sleeves width: 102cm
Summary
This woman's tunic was made by a woman of the Lohana farming community in the arid plains of Sindh, in southern Pakistan. These densely embroidered garments are made for weddings, but are also subsequently worn as part of everyday wear to indicate the wearer's married status. The stiff, embossed style of embroidery is particularly associated with the village of Thano Bula Khan, and this distinctive work is used on smaller items such as caps and bags as well as on these elaborately decorated shirts. The rigid effect of the embroidery is also increased by the addition of pieces of mirror-glass into the embroidered surface. The back of the garment is divided into six panels, each less solidly embroidered than the front and is therefore more flexible.
Bibliographic reference
Dress in detail from around the world / Rosemary Crill, Jennifer Wearden and Verity Wilson ; with contributions from Anna Jackson and Charlotte Horlyck ; photographs by Richard Davis, drawings by Leonie Davis. London: V&A Publications, 2002 Number: 1851773770 (hbk), 1851773789 (pbk) pp.180-181 ill.
Collection
Accession number
IS.16-1974

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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