Unique pieces made by hand
Handwoven
Woven into shawls, stoles and plaids, ‘Pashm’ in the Kashmiri language refers to the raw, unspun wool of the domesticated Changthangi or ‘Chang-Ra’ goat. The collection of it’s soft undercoat takes place each spring. The goat is combed rather than shaved. After the removal of all the impurities, the long process of spinning and weaving the Pashmina begins. Each step requires special skills. The production of handwoven Pashmina shawls employs a large number of people in the Kashmir Valley.
‘Kani’ design
Handwoven shawls are also designed with patterns called ‘Kani’. For a simple woven Pashmina shawl, weavers use shuttles to weave. But for a ‘Kani’ shawl, weavers embed the design using cane or wooden bobbins. Various Mogul patterns, mostly floral, make up most of the design. The weaving of the fabric follows a coded pattern, analogous to carpet knotting.
‘SOZNI’ DESIGN
Fine embroidery threads and different stich-techniques are the base for this Master skill. The process of completing a shawl by hand can take anywhere from a few weeks up to two years. In Kashmir you find different types of hand embroidery for Pashmina shawl. Firstly ‘Sozni’, a fine needle work, and secondly ‘Tilla’, executed with gold and silver coated threads.
‘Sozni’ Pashmina
Here are some examples with details of different handwoven Pashmina shawls with “Sozni” work. You can see the wonderful craftsmanship of these hand embroidered pieces.
Handwoven and hand-embroidered Pashminas bring together two Kashmiri handicrafts and are the heart of Kashmiri Pashmina artists. The techniques and patterns used in these shawls have been passed down from generation to generation for 500 years.
If you are interested in these masterpieces from the Kashmir Valley, we will be happy to send you the currently available colors and designs by email or WhatsApp.
‘Kani’ Pashminas
Here are some examples with details of different handwoven ‘Kani’ Pashmina shawls. The design is woven in with different colors.
