Late 19th or Early 20th Century Phulkari Bagh from West Punjab

Silk embroidery on hand loomed cotton.

Silk and cotton embroidery done on hand loomed cotton.  

A rare pattern embroidered in silk on a hand loomed cotton background. Punjab is known for its Phulkaris. The embroidery is done with floss silk thread on coarse handwoven cotton fab...

A rare pattern embroidered in silk on a hand loomed cotton background. Punjab is known for its Phulkaris. The embroidery is done with floss silk thread on coarse handwoven cotton fabric. Geometrical patterns are usually embroidered on the Phulkaris. Phulkaris and Baghs were worn by women all-over Punjab during marriage festivals and other joyous occasions. They were embroidered by the women for their own use and use of other family members and were not for sale in the market. The most favoured color is red and its shades, because Bagh and Phulkari are used during marriage and other festivals. Red is also considered auspicious by Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs. Phulkari (Punjabi) embroidery technique from the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, literally means flower work, which was at one time used as the word for embroidery, but in time the word “Phulkari” became restricted to embroidered shawls and head scarfs. Simple and sparsely embroidered odini (head scarfs), dupatta and shawls, made for everyday use, are called Phulkaris, whereas garments that cover the entire body, made for special and ceremonial occasions like weddings and birth of a son, fully covered fabric is called Baghs ("garden") and scattered work on the fabric is called "adha bagh" (half garden). This whole work is done with white or yellow silk floss on cotton khaddarh and starts from the center on the fabric called "chashm-e-bulbul" and spreads to the whole fabric. All of our textiles are handmade and original designs, the making of which takes a lifetime to learn through communities of artisans passing knowledge and techniques from one generation to another. Bawan Bagh Phulkari textile - Wedding Shawl...