Panel of Parsi Sari Border

Embroidery of very distinct characteristics developed in the urban center of Surat on the northwest coast of India. A colony of Chinese immigrants produced garments for another immigrant colony, that of the Parsees which originate in Iran. The design, as well as the stitches used, are typically Chinese. Yet the garments are Indian in form, such as saris, small round skull caps and blouses.The saris were either completely covered with embroidery or with embroidered borders. The borders, once the sari was worn,were used to form square panels used as covers. The embroidery of this panel,composed of a sari border, is executed in Peking stitch,also known as French knot or the forbidden stitch, thus named as it was very straining on the eyes of the embroiderer and at some point it was banned (unsuccessfully)by the Chinese authorities.