Long shawl with woven figures and animals
Unknown Artist
c. 1885
Medium
2/2 twill tapestry weave, double interlocked and pieced: wool (possibly pashmina)
Dimensions
354.3 × 141.6 cm
Classification
Textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Arlene C. Cooper
Accession Number
2006.200
About this artwork
Kashmir shawls from India were status symbols in Europe during the 1800s, and few are as rare as this woven example. Over 200 human figures take part in drinking, smoking, dancing, and falconry in the Indian princely scenes that enliven the shawl’s borders and four dark stripes. The stripes alternate with large elongated boteh, or paisley, motifs that intertwine with blossoming stems in a European style adapted by Kashmiri textile artists. This extraordinary woven shawl was probably made to dazz...