1535 Swat Valley Shawl Fragment

LOVELY piece salvaged from an old Swat Valley shawl.

One edge rough-cut.

Has some minor color run issues.

Handspun cotton base.

The silk is so fine that it appears to be pasted onto the cotton.

The embroidery is similar to Phulkaris and Suzanis.

This is a fragment and not a complete piece.

Notwithstanding the defects this is a stunning piece of work and can be used to create a framed textile artwork using the 16+ flower motifs.

Rare.

My Notes: A similar piece sold in 2018 and I was confused seeing a similar listing (E158) as SOLD while I still held this piece in my hand. But a detailed examination revealed that though the motifs were identical in pattern, the colors used in the secondary elements had been either switched right to left or rotated ... so that no two motifs were exactly the same.This fragment is probably a part of the same shawl - with care having been taken to never repeat the color scheme of any motif. Maybe it was a lesson in permutation ....

Someday I will mount or frame each motif separately ...

Antique Swat Valley Textile

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This item has spent a lifetime being used for the purpose of its creation with the original artist/user. Signs of this life lived heartily may be present on the piece in the form of stains, thread loss, loose threads, holes, tears, color run and other imperfections. Therefore the condition must be assumed to be “not” perfect. More photos of such imperfections will be provided on request.

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