'Antique Kashmir Shawls' textile exhibit at Minasian Rug
29 Nov '07
3 min read
"Now, museums and designers are clamoring to bring exotic textiles from all over the world into installations, offices and private spaces." Armen adds, "Many people may admire textiles, but not know how to display them in their homes. In our gallery, you will see numerous ways that these unique and colorful items can be added to your home or office decor."
Principally made in Kashmir in the 19th century and earlier (indeed, historical records make mention of shawls as early as the 12th and 13th centuries, and it is thought that they may date to the 11th century), shawls were originally worn by prominent men.
But after their export to the West, they were solely in the wardrobes of well-to-do women. In fact, Kashmir shawls were so numerous that it indirectly led to their decline among the fashionable set when industrial looms such as the jacquard began to make more affordable copies for less-prosperous women.
The ultimate shawl, however, is epitomized by the Kashmir shawl which required an almost unbelievable amount of painstaking labor by mostly poor Kashmiri women embroiderers. Shawls could take up to two years to weave from start to finish.
Adding to this intrinsic human worth is the use of Pashmina wool from the undercoat of the Himalayan mountain goat, acquired in trade from Western Tibet and spun into perhaps the finest yarns ever utilized in any textile. For all practical purposes, none of these shawls have been made for well over a century.
"Wrapped in Beauty: The Allure of Antique Shawls" is open to the public free of charge, Monday thru Saturday from 9am to 5pm at Minasian Rug Company, 1244 Chicago Avenue in Evanston.
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