Shawl (Chaddar)
Unknown Artist
17th century
Medium
Cotton
Dimensions
H. 186 in. (472.5 cm) W. 71 in. (180.3 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Costumes
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1915
Accession Number
15.95.144
Art Historical Context
This elegant **Shawl (Chaddar)** the 17th century as a remarkable example of Islamic textile artistry, crafted entirely from cotton. Measuring an impressive 186 inches in height and 71 inches width, its vast scale suggests it was designed as a grand outer garment, perfect for draping over the body or shoulders, offering both practicality and presence. In the Islamic world of the 17th century cotton textiles like this chaddar—meaning "sheet" or "wrapper" in Persian and regional languages—held deep cultural importance. Worn by women as a chador or shawl, it symbolized modesty, status, and every...