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Shawl

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

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
Accessories
Clothing
Textiles
Embroidery
Maps
Object type
Shawl
Materials and techniques
Wool embroidered with woollen thread
Wool (Textile)
Wool Yarn
Embroidering
Twill Weave
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
(03/10/2015-10/01/2016)
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
Credit line
Gift of Mrs Estelle Fuller through The Art Fund
Object history
Registered File number 1970/3190.
Given in 1970.
Subject depicted
Map
Place depicted
Srinagar
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
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.31-1970

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Record createdNovember 13, 2002
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70078/shawl-unknown/
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