Phulkari with Elephants

Phulkari is a shawl which is part of a dowry offering. It is made at home by the bride and other female members of her family. The local coarse cotton kaddar cloth ground is dyed with madder into reddish-brown, and the embroidery of floss silk is done in long stitches that produce large shiny and reflective surfaces. Phulkari of Muslim background have abstracted design elements while the Hindu ones, like this example, have pictorial elements like human figures, animals, and birds.