CASHMERE SHAWLS

The Saree, or woman’s plaid, is the common dress of the Hinduwomen of all ranks, as well as of many Mohammedans.

The Turban , worn by Hindu and frequently by Mohammedan, isusually 9 to 12 inches wide, and 15 to 25 yards long; but isfrequently woven 60 yards in length with a proportionate width,bands of ornamentation, varying from half an inch to several incheswide, are woven across the ends of the piece, frequently supple-mented by a narrow border running the length of the piece.

Coloured stripes in mixed fabrics of silk and wool are common,the colours being green and crimson, or yellow and crimson, withdelicate patterning of floral forms; these are undoubtedly the most

ancient of Indian fabrics.

Among the Hindu and Moham-medan upper classes, costumes cutfrom the woven piece and correspond-ing to the European made-up garmentare worn ; a style that dates back tothe Mohammedan invasion, and wassometimes followed, though reluc-tantly, by the Hindus. These gar-ments of silk, or cotton, or silk inter-woven with gold and silver, like theHindu cotton fabrics, are invariablyrichly brocaded with pattern. Thebeautiful kincobs are representative ofthese brocaded patterns (Nos. 3, 4, 5,plate 15).

The Cashmere shawls were famousfor their technical qualities of weavingand material, and for the beauty ofdesign and colouring.

The distinctive feature of the ornamentation is the free use ofthe pine, which is, together with the ground, filled with small floralforms.

Fig. 23, taken from a shawl weaver’s pattern book, about 1850,is an interesting example of the pine pattern. It is also instructive,showing that the weaver was allowed a free hand in the interpreta-tion of the floral details, which in the sketch are just suggested bythe designer.

The finest of these Cashmere shawls are woven of the wool of theThibetan goat; and a shawl of a full flowered field of the finestquality of wool will cost in Kashmir £300.

These shawls are usually woven in separate pieces corresponding

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Fig. *3. —Indian Pine.