96-97 / 168
94
95
The familiar wide borders seen on other shawls of
this period are subtlely transformed into a pair of
butas
that stretch almost halfway across the body of
the shawl. The
butas
themselves are elongated and
slender with stylised swan-like necks, which were
prevalent in shawls from the first part of the 19
th
century. Flowering plants create an unbroken oval on
a white background at the centre; this is bordered by
a wave-like pattern suggesting a sense of movement
to otherwise static fabric. The black field at the
centre of the shawl is barely discernible, with the tops
of the
butas
breaking through it. The white stands
out against the other more muted palette of purple,
green, blue and orange. Similar colours can be seen
in the multi-coloured harlequin fringe tabs that are
stitched on to two ends.
This elaborately patterned shawl with a flamboyant
design circling the body in a continuous oval is
probably the creation of a French designer. Art
historians are of the opinion that this shawl may have
been given as a tribute to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. By
the mid-19
th
century, shawl patterns had become
more extravagant and fanciful, the colour palette
more varied, as artists pushed the boundaries of
traditional designs. Some of this was influenced by
European taste, some by the weaver’s creativity.
The present lot is a good example of the dazzling
workmanship of that period, and is possibly designed
by a European and intended for his home market.
51
LONG SHAWL WITH OVAL CENTRAL
PATTERN
KASHMIR, MID 19
TH
CENTURY
Handspun and handwoven Pashmina, natural dyes
52.25 x 86.5 in (133 x 220 cm)
$ 12,125 - 15,155
Rs 8,00,000 - 10,00,000
NONEXPORTABLE
Detail from ceiling in the Shalimar Gardens, Srinagar, Kashmir
©
Monisha Ahmed