Shawl Border (Pallu)
c. 1820
Medium
Wool, double interlocking 2:2 'S' twill tapestry weave; main warp fringe
Dimensions
a: 40.6 × 127.2 cm (16 × 50 in.); Weft repeat: H.: 65 cm (25 1/2 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
26269
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The earliest Kashmir shawls introduced to Europe were made of white cashmere wool with decorated ends containing rows of stylized floral buta motifs. The pattern became known as paisley in English, after the town in Scotland that was a center of shawl weaving. The fine wool of a shawl’s central area was always the most fragile component, and this long shawl has been mended with two nearly invisible seams across the central white field. Europeans valued Kashmir shawls so highly that even fragment...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...