Gold Toned Phulkari

Phulkaris are embroidered shawls from Punjab and other parts of north west India. The are made of plain woven cotton, dyed with madder or indigo into deep red -brown or blue. The embroidery consists of brilliant floss silk, which is worked from the back of the fabric in a counted satin stitch. Most of the silk shows on the front. The design is floral and figurative when produced by Hindus and abstract when of Islamic origins.

The phulkari shawl, also called bagh, is traditionally started by a grandmother when a child is born, in preparation for his or her wedding day, when the shawl will be draped around the bride as she is brought to her marital home. This phulkari is of Islamic origins, two panels stitched together, with a chevron field,a serrated design on longer edges and a wide geometrical design along the shorter edges.