Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art: Asian (258)

This old textile from Maqur district in Ghazni province, Afghanistan dates from the early to mid 20th century and is embroidered in silk thread on a muslin ground, on an additional muslin background. Abstract volute motifs are dynamically joined in ladder stitch and tightly worked to showcase the two central medallions which are the centerpiece of the composition. This textile measures 55 x 81 cm and is in excellent condition.

This is an old pair of sleeve cuffs from Maqur district in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, embroidered on a thin muslin ground. Red, orange, green and bergundy silk threads are embroidered in a very finely worked ladder stitch, forming interlocking volute designs. Small glass mirrors are artfully incorporated into the embroidery. Mirrorwork embroidery is quite popular in parts of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Known as "shisha" in the Indian subcontinent where it is thought to have originated, this type of embroidery is also sometimes done with small pieces of mica. These sleeve cuffs are estimated to date from the early to mid 20th century and are in excellent condition. Muslin on a linen ground.

The traditional embroidery of Kandahar ("khamak" in Pashto) is exquisitely fine and extremely labor intensive. A piece such as this one may take up to three months to complete due to the exceptionally detailed stitching technique. This is a panel from a man's shirt from Kandahar province, Afghanistan, and dates to the mid 20th century. Measuring 38.5 x 42 cm, the fine geometric designs are densely embroidered in a mustard silk thread with discrete cobalt highlights. The relief effect of the monochrome embroidery is enhanced by pulled work in satin stitch, so densely worked as to almost completely cover the linen fabric ground. The use of the counted-thread technique makes it extremely difficult to stitch directly onto the fabric, thus the linen on linen ground. This textile is extraordinary for the precision of the stitching and the sheen of the silk, which is worked to attract the light in different ways to optimal effect. It is in excellent condition given its age. Enlargement #12 shows the textile from the reverse side.

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.

Embroidered in long and short stitch in rayon thread, this prayer cloth is from central Afghanistan where the minority Shi'a Hazara people live, comprising about 19% of the total population of Afghanistan. The textile depicts the domed tomb ("Mashhad Hussein") of Hussein, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad, in Kerbala, Iraq, the holiest shrine of the the Twelve-Imam Shi'ite Muslims. The background is a polyester cloth embroidered in vibrant primary colors, alluding to the mosque and minarets of Kerbala. The image is tersely framed by embroidered rosettes and leaves. This textile is in excellent condition and dates to the late 20th century.

Strong geometric shapes densely embroidered in satin stich in vibrant colors animate this Hazara textile from central Afghanistan which is estimated to date to the mid 20th century. Silk thread embroidered on a fine cotton linen ground, the patterns are artfully joined into a robust and dynamic unity. Embroidery is an important winter activity for Hazara women who inhabit mountainous central Afghanistan, including Bamiyan, Oruzgan and Ghazni provinces. The Hazara are Shi'ite Muslims who comprise about 19% of the total population of Afghanistan. This textile is in perfect condition and measures 35 x 38.3 cm. The continuous supplementary-weft technique makes this textile reversible and either face may be used as the front.

This is an old tobacco pouch from Indus Kohistan, a remote area of northern Pakistan located along the Indus river. Cotton embroidered with silk thread, depicting interlocking rhomboids on one face, repeating chevrons on the other, and embellished with beadwork on the edges. The embroidery technique is exceptionally fine brick stitch, closely paralleled in Hazara embroidery. The purse measures 18 x 18.5 cm and is in overall good condition, just some normal wear due to its age (early to mid 20th century). For a photographic reference please see p. 125 of Naskari & Crill, Colours of the Indus copyright 1997.

This textile from central Afghanistan was made by Hazara women and depicts the severed hands and shrine of Hazrat Abbas, the half-brother of Hussein ibn Ali, during the battle of Kerbala in Iraq. The scene is embroidered in very fine cross stitch in rayon thread on a polyester background and measures 47 x 59 cm. Condition: Excellent. Estimated age: late 20th century. The inscription at the top reads "Turbah-i-Kerbala" in Dari ("soil of Kerbala"), referring to the holy and curative properties of the clay from Kerbala.

Measuring 14 x 17 cm, this tobacco pouch from Indus Kohistan is embroidered in extremely fine brick stitch, cross stitch and satin stitch in silk thread. The beaded tassled edges are typical of the embroidery of this remote region of Pakistan. Condition is excellent, estimated age mid to late 20th century.

The use of long and short stitch in this Hazara textile from central Afghanistan gives a more detailed surface that better reflects the light than satin stitch. Silk thread on a fine cotton ground, the overall design alternates densely embroidered areas with others left unworked. This napkin measures 32.5 x 34.8 cm and is in excellent condition. Estimated age: late 20th century. The continuous supplementary-weft technique makes this textile reversible and either face may be used as the front.

In central Afghanistan where villages are commonly cut off from the rest of the world during the winter months, the time spent by Hazara women in embroidering textiles such as this one is considerable. Depicting eight-pointed stars and triangles densely embroidered in silk thread on a fine cotton linen cloth, this napkin measures 38 x 40.5 cm and is in excellent condition. Estimated age: mid to late 20th century.

This is an old prayer cloth from central Afghanistan measuring 35.7 x 35.7 cm. The embroidery technique is satin stitch in silk thread intricately worked on a fine cotton linen ground. These cloths are unique to the Hazara and used to protect the prayer stone from Kerbala, Iraq, which is a holy city of pilgrimmage to the Hazara and other Shi'ite Muslims. The terra cotta prayer stones depict the mosque and minarets of Kerbala and are traditionally brought back by pilgrims to be used during prayer, where the stone is placed on a small square on the cloth which the man touches with his forehead. The textile is in good condition but has some fading due to its age (early to mid 20th century).

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. Estimated age: mid 20th century.

Embroidered in satin stitch in silk thread on a fine cotton linen ground, this napkin measures 37.2 x 37.8 cm and is estimated to date from the mid to late 20th century. Such textiles are unique to the Hazara, Shi'ite Muslims who comprise the third largest ethnic group of Afghanistan, forming about 19% of the total population and inhabiting mostly the central provinces of central Afghanistan. This textile is in excellent condition overall with only one small stain.

Embroidered in satin stitch and Holbein stich in red, green and blue silk thread, this Pashtun napkin measures 21 x 22 cm and is dated to the early to mid 20th century. Condition is good overall given the age of this textile, though with a few light brown stains and some missing threads. The repetitive geometric design alternates the embroidered areas with others left unworked, leaving a surprisingly dynamic impression.

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 little Hazara purse from Afghanistan was designed to hold kohl or some other small item. Embroidered in fine brick stitch in various colors of silk with the edges fringed with white glass beads, the purse measures 12 x 12 cm with the flap closed. It is in excellent condition, dating to the late 20th century.

A hand-emboidered purse from Pakistan, measuring 19 cm x 21 cm. The embroidery technique is a combination of ladder stitch and satin stitch in silk on a black cotton ground. The purse is framed on all three sides by white glass bead tassels. Estimated age: late 20th century. Condition is excellent.

This tobacco pouch ("kochor") from Indus Kohistan is embroidered in silk thread on cotton, with extremely fine cross- tent and satin-stitch, and white glass beaded tassels to adorn the edges. The bag measures 7" x 8" with the tassels. There is a string on the side of the bag which is used to hang the purse from the water pipe ("huqqa") while it is being smoked. There is some slight damage on one face, unsurprising given the age of this purse which is estimated to date from the mid to late 20th century. Kohistan (meaning "land of mountains") has two distinct meanings in Pakistan. In Persian "koh" means "peak" and "ustaan" means province". In its usual modern sense Kohistan District is an administrative district within Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province covering an area of 7,492 square kilometres (2,893 sq mi). In a broader historic and geographic sense, Kohistan is used for a region that stretches from the border with Azad Kashmir in the east to Afghanistan's Nuristan province in the west.

Embroidered in silk thread on a fine cotton linen ground, this little purse is from Badakhshan province in northeastern Afghanistan and measures 11.3 x 13.5 cm. Badakhshan province is mostly inhabited by Tajiks and is the home of the world's most important lapis mines. The embroidery technique is a combination of brick stitch and long and short stitch, depicting chevrons and floral motifs. Three silk pompoms adorn each corner of the purse which is in excellent condition overall, just a few tiny stains to be expected from a textile of this age (mid 20th century).

A densely beaded woman's dress panel made by Kuchi nomads from Afghanistan, probably dating to the mid to late 20th century. Woven glass seed beads attached to a cloth background at the top, overlaid by a second layer with twisted acrylic threads and beaded tassles. Several layers of fabric at the top make this piece stiff and sturdy. This panel measures 11¼ x 21 inches. Kuchis (from the Persian word "koch" meaning migration) are Pashtun nomads, primarily from the Ghilzai, Kakarh, Lodi, Ahmadzai as well as some Durrani tribes, but occasionally there may also be some Baluch people among them. There are 3 million Kuchis in Afghanistan, with at least 60% of them remaining fully nomadic, and over 100,000 have been displaced in the past few years due to war, natural disasters and drought. "A nomad's territory is in one sense boundless, but there is an established path linking a tribe's seasonal pastures, known as 'the way". Packing up and moving of the tribe along the path was, and still is, a twice-yearly ritual in which bags and animal trappings decorated with beads, shells, buttons and metal discs, long wrapped cords and tassles, add to the color and ceremony." (see Janet Harvey, Traditional Textiles of Central Asia).

This is a woman's shift known as a "jumlo" from the remote Indus Kohistan area of northern Pakistan. Jumlos are among the most lavishly embroidered textiles in all of Asia and are usually worn with an embroidered shawl known as a "chuprai". This tunic is embroidered in silk floss thread on black cotton in extremely fine half cross-stitch ("petit point") and the surface darning stitch for which Swati embroidery is famous. It is further embellished with assorted metal trinkets, amulets and buttons, which are used extensively in the embroidery from this district. In addition to providing decoration, they act as charms to avert evil from the wearer. The gored and flounced skirt features no less than 350 inserted triangular panels. The textile measures 149 cm when measured across the shoulders and back from sleeve end to sleeve end. Measured from neck to flounce hem the length is 85.5 cm. Condition: Excellent, there are a few small moth holes in the skirt, the largest measuring 3 x 4.5 cm (under repair). Estimated age: mid 20th century.

This Tibetan woven wool sash from the mid to late 20th century measures 5½ x 104 inches (14 x 264.2 cm) including the braided fringes and is in excellent condition. These sashes are used by Tibetans to tie their traditional apron attire (chuba for women, lokpa for men) and also to secure knives, bundles etc. The luster of these wool belts is derived from the high lanolin content to be found in the hairs of high-altitude goats living in the Himalayan range from which these belts are woven. 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 known as "kaabo" among the Tibetans and are carefully woven on backstrap looms.

Measuring 8 x 116 inches (20.3 x 294.6 cm) including the braided fringes, this woven wool sash from Tibet is in excellent condition. The sash is a dark bergundy with indigo stripes and orange thread sewn along the edges to prevent fraying. Estimated age: mid to late 20th century. These sashes are called kaabo and are traditionally used to tie and secure the national attire called chuba for women, lokpa for men (see enlargement #5, courtesy of Thomas Laird and Peter Matthiessen, East of Lo Manthang © 1995). 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. The last enlargement is a photo by Heinrich Harrer depicting a traditional loom on which these sashes are woven (Ladakh, © 1988).

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 women, lokpa for men). This sash is estimated to date from the mid to late 20th century.

A woven wool sash from Tibet, circa mid to late 20th century. Measuring 15.3 x 300 cm including the fringes, it is in overall good condition, but with some fraying. These sashes are used by Tibetans to tie their traditional attire (chuba for women, lokpa for men) and also to secure knives, bundles etc. Enlargement #6 shows the use of these sashes in traditional Tibetan nomadic culture (© 1995 East of Lo Manthang by Peter Matthiessen and Thomas Laird).

This Tibetan wool sash measures 12.7 cm x 340.4 cm in length including the silky fringes. The tigma (cross) motif is an ancient good luck charm among Tibetans and here it is depicted in a discontinuous weft pattern design. These sashes are traditionally worn to secure the traditional Tibetan attire called a chuba. 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. The last photo shows a typical loom on which these sashes are woven. Condition: Excellent. Mid to late 20th century.

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.

This child's cap from the from the high valleys of Indus Kohistan is dated to the mid-late 20th century and embellished with cowry shells, white beads and metal snaps and trinkets. The embroidery is tent stitch worked in cotton thread, forming interlocking diamond motifs on the crown. Condition: overall good, some fraying. Diameter is 7 inches, circumference 15 1/4 inches.

In the high valleys of Indus Kohistan the children still wear hats such as this one, made of tent stitch, fine cross stitch and metallic amulets to ward off the evil eye. Silk thread on cotton ground, accented with beading, sea shells, pompoms, and metal trinkets. Estimated age mid 20th century. Condition of this hat is excellent. No holes, no fraying, no stains. Diameter is 7 inches, circumference 18 inches.

A child's cap from Indus Kohistan which is part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as NWFP). Some of the finest embroidery of this region comes from the area between Patan and Komila, where small settlements beside tributaries of the Indus produce embroidered costume and small bags worked in minute cross stitch and tent stitch. This cap with its beaded tassle is very typical of the region in its use of pompoms, buttons, white beading, and incredibly fine petit point stitch in silk thread. Condition: overall very good, albeit with some fraying which is to be expected from a cap of this age. Diameter 15.2 cm, circumference 43 cm. Some portion of the cap lining from inside is a printed cotton fabric.

The embroidery of Baluchistan is called "doch" and is unique in its intricate repetitive geometric patterns and colors. This woman's dress yoke from Baluchistan ("pashk kurta") features a repertoire of densely embroidered patterns in silk thread on a dark blue silk background. Extremely fine satin stitch combined with herringbone stitch in silk thread, some metallic, along with buttonhole stitching, depicting geometric motifs. The most intricate pushks are produced in Makran and other coastal areas of Baluchistan. This one measures 42 x 62 cm and is in excellent condition. Estimated age: mid 20th century.

An old Uzbek puttee dating from the 1950s or 1960s. Silk embroidery on an ivory linen ground, embroidered in long and short stitch, the trademark of Uzbek embroidery. Condition is very good, some staining on one side. It measures 8.3 cm x 58 cm (w/o string). The string measures 31 cm. Puttees are a strip of cloth wound spirally around the leg from the ankle to the knee.

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.

This Uzbek textile measures 8.2 cm x 52 cm, 8.2 cm x 89 cm with the string. Depicting rosettes in long and short stitch and cross stitch in silk thread on a black cotton ground, this Uzbek puttee dates from the mid 20th century and is in excellent condition. Puttees are a strip of cloth wound spirally around the leg from ankle to knee.

Measuring 33 x 39 cm, this vintage Hazara child's vest from Afghanistan is from the 1960s. The embroidery is extremely fine straight stitch and long and short stitch in wool thread on a light brown linen ground, depicting geometric motifs in vibrant color. Condition: Excellent, no stains, no holes, no odors. The Hazara are the third largest ethnic group of Afghanistan. They are a Persian-speaking people who live mostly in central Afghanistan (Bamiyan and Ghazni provinces) and are overwhelmingly Shia Muslims, forming about 19% of the total population of Afghanistan.