A pair of puttees from northern Afghanistan, hand-embroidered by Uzbek women. Each puttee measures 8.4 cm x 48 cm (3 1/4 x 19 inches)and is hand-embroidered in silk thread on a red cotton ground. The embroidery technique is long and short stitch, typical of Uzbek embroidery. Condition: excellent, no stains, no flaws of any kind. The puttee with the braided thread measures 48 cm x 47 cm.

Freely executed floral motifs in vivid colors adorn this hand-embroidered napkin from southern Afghanistan. The embroidery technique is satin stitch in silk thread on a fine cotton linen ground. The composition overall is very nicely balanced, with an eight-petaled red flower at the center. This textile measures 41.5 x 43 cm and is in excellent condition.

This is a wedding shawl from Indus Kohistan in the province of Pakistan formerly known as NWFP (North-West Frontier Province). Comprised of two large rectangular panels which are densely embroidered in floss silk thread, it is embellished with colored sequins, brass mirrors and decorative metal trinkets, with corded and beaded tassels on the outer edges. The bottom panel is fringed with white and red glass beads...

A prayer cloth (mohr posh) embroidered by Hazara women, probably originating from Ghazni, Uruzgan or Bamiyan province. These prayer cloths are unique to the Hazara and are used to wrap the Shi'a prayer stone, called the mohr. At the time of prayer, the stone is laid on the cloth so that the worshipper touches with his forehead the small square where the stone is placed. The stone depicts the mosque and minarets of Karbela...

Measuring 28.5 x 30 cm, this child's dress front from Afghanistan is in excellent condition. Mirrors are extensively used in Pashtun embroidery, because they reflect sunlight and protect the wearer from evil glances. The mica is attached to the fabric by means of minutely stitched mirror frameworks and encircling borders. This textile is impressive based on the extensive mirrorwork, beadwork, and meticulous herringbone stitch, with metallic thread in Bukhara couching...

This embroidered shield-shaped panel ("Uut kap Ilgitsh") made of thick red velvet would traditionally be one of a pair, to protect the ends of yurt poles which are tied into bunches on a pack animal's back while in transit to a new location. These bags have both protective and decorative functions. The repeating embroidered ram's horn motif in metallic couching evokes the animal art of the Central Asian steppes...

Varied repeating geometric patterns exquisitely embroidered in satin stitch in silk thread characterize this dress panel from Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Executed in a counted-thread technique in relief on a cotton linen background, the monochrome colors of the thread reflect the light in such a way as to confer a high degree of elegance to this textile which measures 17 x 148 cm and is fully reversible on each side. Condition is perfect, no stains, no holes, no odors...

A small khalta (pouch) in cross stitch from Kunduz province, Afghanistan, hand-embroidered by Uzbek women of the Lakai tribe. Circa 1950. It measures 5 1/2 x 8 inches without the beaded tassles; with the beaded tassles, 7 1/2 x 9 inches. The bag is lined inside with red cotton, and the outlines on the exterior are embellished with tassles and white glass beads...

This child's cap from Indus Kohistan, Pakistan is dated to the mid 20th century and measures 7 cm in diameter, 42 cm in circumference. Kohistan in Persian means "land of mountains" and has two distinct meanings in Pakistan. In Persian "koh" means "peak" and "istaan" means "land of". Kohistan is one of the most isolated and the most deprived districts, not only in Hazara Division but in the entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan...

A child's cap embroidered in acrylic thread, tent stitch and satin stitch, it is embellished with pompoms, buttons, metal trinkets and white beads which are traditional decorative elements of Kohistani embroidery. Diameter is 16.5 cm, circumference 43 cm. Mid to late 20th century. Some fraying.

In the mountainous central provinces of Afghanistan embroidery is an important winter activity for women. This hand-embroidered textile from central Afghanistan measures 26 x 28 cm, composed of silk thread in cross stitch on a beige cotton linen background. It is in excellent condition and its estimated age is mid to late 20th century...

This attractive hand-embroidered purse from Bamiyan province measures 10.5 x 21 cm when opened, 8 x 10.5 cm when closed. It is embroidered in brick stitch in silk thread of various colors. The motifs are meticulously worked diamond motifs surrounding hooked diamonds, quite typical of traditional Hazara embroidery. The Hazara are the third largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. Age: circa early to mid 20th century. Condition: Very good, two small stains under the button closure (see photos)...

Meticulously worked in cross stitch in cotton thread, this yurt ornament (saye gosha) is from Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, where the Uzbeks form 10% of the population. The embroidered portion of this textile measures 19.5 x 20 inches, not including the wool fringes, which measure an additional 5 inches...

Measuring 15 x 26 cm this charming purse is completely hand-embroidered in silk thread on a polyester ground. The embroidery is a very finely worked ladder stitch combined with Romanian couching ("pokhtaduzi") so densely worked as to almost completely obscure the background fabric. The metal thread around the mirrors is fastened down at regular intervals with small holding stitches, producing a characteristic relief to the pattern. Blue seed beads on all the edges are intended to ward off the j...

This child's hat was hand-embroidered by Uzbek women living in northern Afghanistan. Depicting traditional patterns in vivid pink, green, bergundy and purple, it measures 6 inches (15.2 cm) in diameter and 18½ inches (47 cm) in circumference. The width is 2¾"(7 cm). Long and short stitch are solidly worked in wool thread and reinforced with machine stitching on a cotton base. Condition is excellent on the exterior, with some fraying in the interior. Its estimated age is late 20th century. The...

Measuring 39 x 40.5 cm, this textile from Afghanistan astounds in its meticulous satin stitch in vibrant, multicolored silk thread. Condition is excellent. No stains, no odors, no flaws of any kind. Estimated age: mid 20th century. The continuous supplementary-weft technique makes this textile reversible and either face may be used as the front. "Consisting of, or generated from, such simple forms as the circle and the square, geometric patterns were combined, duplicated, interlaced, and arrang...

An exceptionally fine embroidered purse from Katawaz (Ghazni province), Afghanistan, circa early to mid 20th century. The embroidery on this piece is basically metallic embroidery on both sides, with mirror stitching and fine metallic couching. The front side is comprised of Bokhara couching, where the thread is taken across the surface for the desired length, then, bringing the needle back to the beginning, it is caught down at regular intervals by small stitches. The process is repeated unti...

This woven textile is from Tibet. Measuring 21.8 x 376 cm, it is in excellent condition. The high lustre of the wool is attributed to the high lanolin content of the goat wool in the high altitude regions of the Tibetan plateau. Enlargement #12 shows the use of these sashes in traditional Tibetan nomadic culture (© 1995 East of Lo Manthang by Peter Matthiessen and Thomas Laird). These sashes are used to tie knives and bundles and more importantly, to secure the dress of the natives (chuba for w...

Measuring 30 x 32.5 cm, this child's waistcoat from Afghanistan is embroidered in cross stitch in silk thread in geometric patterns, very typical of Hazara embroideries. However, as Bernard Dupaigne has noted, Pashtun and Hazara embroideries are sometimes difficult to distinguish due to the geographic proximity of both groups in the central region of Afghanistan. There is a style that incorporates the Hazara predilection for geometric designs in cross stitch, while the Pashtun influence is refl...

Embroidered on a dark purple silk, this pair of Pashtun tablecloths is from Ghazni province, Afghanistan. Each textile measures 27 x 27 cm and is animated by star motifs and repetitive whorl designs in a closely worked ladder stitch in silk thread, framed by gold-thread braid and gold-thread ribbon appliquéd onto the background. There is also some extremely fine metal thread couching on each piece, and beaded fringes all around the edges. A superb example of Pashtun embroidery. Condition is ne...

A child's helmet (khohl) from Pakistan which is daily attire for both girls and boys of the villages in Kohistan. It measures 34 cm from the beaded tassel on the peaked crown to the forehead hem, and 102.5 cm from the tassle to the V-shaped bottom hem. The diameter of the cap is 27.5 cm. Satin stitch and petit point (half cross stitch) in silk thread on a black cotton ground, the helmet is embellished all over with white and red glass beads and buttons. Its condition is excellent with no flaws. ...

A child's shirt front from Ghazni province, circa early to mid 1960s, probably from Jaghori or Katawaz. Densely embroidered in extremely fine brick and satin stitch in silk thread on purple silk, the lozenge patterns are framed by Bokhara couching, where the metallic threads are laid in parallel and then fastened with tiny stitches, forming a relief pattern. Blue beads surround the edges, to protect against the evil eye. The waistbands are equally stunning in detail, embroidered in herringbone ...

This small pouch from Hazara district in Pakistan measures 12 x 15.5 cm and is hand-embroidered in extremely fine satin stitch in silk thread. Its age is approximately early to mid 20th century. Condition is near excellent, two light stains on one face. As the Hazara district is situated between Punjab and Swat, the embroidery of this area is stylistically very similar to that of the Swat Valley.

Measuring 29.2 x 33.6 cm, this textile is from central Afghanistan, home of the minority Hazara people who are Shi'ite Muslims, inhabiting at least three or four provinces (Jaghori, Bamiyan, Orugzan, Wardak). The embroidery on this textile is exclusively silk herringbone stitch on an ivory cotton linen ground. The textile is in good condition overall with some mild staining. Estimated age: early to mid 20th century.

This is a tobacco pouch from Indus Kohistan in Pakistan, probably from Kolai or Palas Valley. Circa mid 20th century. It is embroidered in an extremely fine, solidly worked brick stitch in various colored silk threads on a black cotton background. The outer edges of the bag are embellished with beaded tassles. One side of the purse features zigzag motifs, the other, interlocking diamond motifs. The purse also features a little string that tightens the purse at the top and is used to hang the po...

This vintage purse from Afghanistan is worked in a variation of ladder stitch and Bukhara couching to form repeating whorl and volute motifs. Silk and metallic thread are embroidered on a green polyester ground. The purse feature two inside pockets lined with red printed cotton, with the outer edges fringed with blue glass seed beads to protect against the evil eye. It measures 10.5 x 14 cm when closed, 13.8 x 25 cm when opened and dates to the mid or late 20th century.

Living in the mountainous regions of central Afghanistan, the women make these embroideries throughout the cold and harsh winters. This textile measures 25 x 27 cm and is in excellent condition. The embroidery technique is cross stitch in silk thread on an apricot cotton linen background. Estimated age: mid to late 20th century.

This densely embroidered purse is from Katawaz (Ghazni province), Afghanistan and measures 12x25 cm when opened, 11x12.5 cm when closed. The metallic thread embroidery is not taken through the background fabric but applied onto it in satin stitches, laid parallel to each other and held down by tiny stitches in orange thread. This embroidery technique serves to create the curvilinear designs in relief. The core is red, green and aubergine silk velvet and the relief designs are neatly framed in b...

This vintage Turkmen Tekke child's bib or collar is hand-embroidered in silk thread with cotton tassels. Shoulder to shoulder measures 19" and the front is 9 1/2" with a 3" fringe. The reverse is a printed cotton fabric and the embroidery technique features the traditional gul-i-badam ("almond flower") motif which is generally found only on Turkmen embroideries from Afghanistan. Condition is excellent and its estimated age is late 20th century.

This is a woman's shift ("kurta") from Swat Valley, Pakistan. It measures 125 cm from one sleeve extended to the other; the gusset measures 24 cm; the bust 57 cm. From top shoulder to bottom hem it measures 91 cm. The sleeve opening is 17 cm. The embroidery technique is pink and red floss silk on indigo-dyed and black cotton depicting geometric shapes typical of the embroidery of the Swat Valley. Condition of this textile is excellent. Estimated age: mid to late 20th century.

This Pashtun nomad's pistol holster from Katawaz is embroidered in ladder stitching on a red silk background, depicting whorls and arabesque motifs in vibrant yellow, green, blue, purple and white. The holster is ornamented with mirrors and blue beads along the edges, blue beads being a traditional feature of Pashtun embroidery for protection against the blue evil eye. Silk and metallic thread with a printed cotton lining. Mid to late 20th century. Condition is overall very good with one small ...

Measuring 8 x 36.5 cm, this embroidered band from northern Afghanistan was hand-embroidered by Uzbek women in an exceptionally fine cross stitch on a pumpkin linen background. Condition is excellent. Estimated age early to mid 20th century.

This is a textile of superb workmanship, very typical of Hazara embroidery. The Hazara are the the third largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, residing mainly in the mountainous central provinces of Bamiyan, Ghazni and Orugzan. This child's dress front measures 32.5 x 65 cm. Solidly worked in cross stitch in silk thread, with satin stich on the waistbands, glass beads on the outer edges, and framed by Bokhara couching in metallic thread. Traditional Afghan dress yokes have a yoke under the nec...

This Turkman Yomut's child's cap from Herat measures 17.8 cm in diameter and 49.5 cm in circumference, 5.5 cm in height. It is estimated to date to the mid 20th century and is in excellent condition. The embroidery technique is cotton thread in a tightly worked satin stitch on a light beige cotton ground.

Measuring 22.6 cm x 23.3 (22.6 x 51.3 including the belt), this child's waistcoat panel was hand-embroidered by Pashtun Mangal women in silk thread on a green silk and red cotton background, in a delicate combination of satin stitch, herringbone stitch and long and short stitch. Its estimated age is mid to late 20th century. Condition is excellent. The Mangal are one of the largest and perhaps the most powerful and influential Pashtun tribes, residing in Southeastern Paktia and adjacent Khost p...

A pair of doilies from Afghanistan, with gul-i-peron discs and extensive beadwork, mirrorwork. They are in excellent condition and measure 19 x 19 cm. Intricate ladder stitch and button hole stitching are the embroidery techniques, plus metal thread and Bukhara stitching. These doilies were made for a woman's dowry and would form part of her trousseau. Estimated age mid to late 20th century.