Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art: Asian: Central Asian: Textiles (217)

Living in the remote valleys along the upper Indus river, the women of Kohistan district in Pakistan may spend several long winter months making a dress ("jumlo") such as this one which is lavishly embroidered in tent stitch (petit point) and satin stitch in silk thread on a black cotton cloth ground. It features a full skirt with multiple inserted triangular panels (over 300) and is embellished with beads, buttons, metal trinkets and amulets. These kinds of trinkets are used extensively in Kohistani embroidery. In addition to providing decoration, they act as charms to avert evil from the wearer. This dress measures 98 x 210 cm with a sleeve opening of 36.8 cm. Estimated age: mid 20th century. Condition is excellent.

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. Diamond and chevron patterns adorn the top band, which is executed in minute cross stitch (petit point) and satin stitch in bright pink silk thread. The shawl measures 150 x 224.5 cm and is in good condition, with only a few brass mirrors missing here and there. The reverse is lined with a printed cotton cloth. Estimated age: mid to late 20th century.

A man's woolen coat from the Pashtun Mangal tribe. Made from a locally handwoven patti cloth, these coats are decorated with woolen embroidery, in branching patterns. The archaic, stylized designs are reminiscent of the woolen garments and felts from Central Asia, which is not surprising given the continuous trade linking Afghanistan with Central Asia. The Mangal tribe straddle both sides of the Pakistan/Afghanistan border and live mostly in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khost and Paktya. This coat is ornamented with gold couching, braided embroidery in long and short stitch, chain stitch, and herringbone stitch. Circa mid 20th century. Condition of this textile is very good, with some wear on the sleeves. This textile measures 36" x 64 5/8" (91.44 x 164.15 cm) including the sleeves.

In mostly satin stitch and cross stitch in silk thread, this piece measures 45½ x 36½ inches (115.6 x 92.7 cm). Saye goshe are an Uzbek V-shaped fringed hanging used to decorate piles of quilts when they are stored during the day. The blazing colors on this textile depict traditional Uzbek motifs with stylized pomegranate flowers. Still living in yurts, the Lakai Uzbek have perfected the interior decoration of their homes. The yurt is embellished with bands, cushions and covers for the bed linen which is folded against the walls during the day. The Uzbeks have preserved the traditions and embroideries of Central Asia. Condition: Excellent. Age: Second half of 20th century.

This embroidered panel is a ceremonial food cover made by the Lakai, an Uzbek tribe living in small villages near the northern Afghanistan city of Kunduz. The Lakai came to Afghanistan in the 16th century but they were once also found in what is now Uzbekistan and southern Tajikistan. This textile is composed of stylized star and solar shapes embroidered in silk thread in fine angled blanket stitch and chain stitch on a red plain-woven cotton. These highly abstract designs are typical of Lakai embroidered textiles. This traditional wedding textile dates to the early to mid 20th century and measures 35 1/2 inches x 35 1/2 inches (90 x 90 cm). Condition: Excellent.

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. The high peaked crown is supported from the interior by sticks of wood. Kohistan means "Land of Mountains" and has two distinct meanings in Pakistan. In Persian "koh" means "peak" and "istaan" means "land of". 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. In a broader historic and geographic sense, Kohistan refers to the region that stretches from the border with Azad Kashmir in the east to Afghanistan's Nuristan province in the west.

This is a woman's dress panel ("pushk kurta") from Baluchistan, measuring 43 x 52 cm. Embroidered in silk thread in a combination of interlacing, herringbone, long and short stitch, and extremely fine satin stitch, it depicts diamond shape medallions ("paraiz zarto")and arched columns with intricately repeated geometric motifs which are typical of Baluch embroidery. The most intricate pushks are produced in Makran and other coastal areas of Baluchistan. This is a dazzling and beautiful textile in very good condition. In this part of the world women trim the painstakingly embroidered sections from worn clothing and reapply it to new garments.

Saye qosha is an Uzbek textile used to decorate piles of quilts when they are stored during the day. Two rectangles of cotton solidly embroidered in cross stitch with multi-colored hooked motifs, sewn together to make a V-shape. Fringes along the bottom in alternating green, bergundy, yellow, red, purple, and white. In their colors and repetition, these motifs are typical of the embroideries of Tajikistan and Sukhanderia in southern Uzbekistan. The length of this embroidery is 25 inches from each upper top edge to the V, for a total of 50 inches. In width, the embroidery measures 10 1/2 inches on each side of the V, including the fringes. The back is lined with red cotton. Condition of this textile is perfect.

Measuring 56 x 88 cm, this horse headcover was hand-embroidered by Uzbeks of the Lakai tribe, well-known for their horsemanship. Each of the embroidered panels feature solar and horned designs, executed in Bukhara couching on red wool flannel, fringed with beaded silk tassels ending in small white beads, a typical feature in Central Asian embroidery. Condition is good but with a few small holes. Estimated age: mid 20th century.

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.

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.

This handmade kilim from Maimana shows the medallion design and double interlock designs typical of the kilims from this area, inhabited by Uzbeks, Ersari Turkomen, and other tribal groups. It measures 87 x 127 cm. In excellent condition. Late 20th century. It is made of 100% sheep's wool.

Embroidered on a brown plainweave cotton linen, this wedding food cover (lali posh) was made by the Lakai Uzbek residing near Kunduz in northern Afghanistan. Six suns edged with waves (symbolizing power) are worked in blanket stitch and chain stitch in bright, multicolored silk thread, surrounded by free-flowing, stylized floral motifs. The rasberry silk fringe border on all sides is crocheted and the reverse side of the textile is lined with two separate panels of printed fabric from Russia. Condition: Excellent. Measures 68 x 69 cm (including fringe). Circa mid to late 20th century. There is some fraying on the back lining, but the the textile is in otherwise perfect condition.

The kilims from around Almar, a village near Maimana, are tightly woven and feature large central medallions with hooked motifs. This hand knotted kilim measures 96.5 x 124.5 cm and is in excellent condition. It dates to the late 20th century and is made of sheep's wool. The palette is subdued as is typical of the kilims from this area of Afghanistan. This kilim was made of vegetable dyes.

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.

The traditional embroidery of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan is called "khamak" and requires great attention to detail as well as being extremely labor intensive. Such embroidery was traditionally limited to men's shawls or to the front of their long, loose shirts. This khamak textile is embroidered in silk thread on a fine cotton linen ground with aqua-colored cotton fringes. It measures 12 x 132.5 cm without the fringes (16.5 x 132.5 cm with the fringes) and is in excellent condition overall. Interlocking geometric motifs are embroidered in mustard, pink and aqua in an exceptionally fine satin stitch, combined with areas of long and short stitch. This textile is estimated to be 40-50 years old. Either side of the textile may be used as the face owing to the continuous supplementary weft technique.

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 neckline from which long panels of fabric flow. Sleeves are typically wide, and they wear matching cuffed pants (shalwar) underneath. The garments are decorated with embroidery at the yoke, the bottom of the sleeves, and the cuff of the pants. When a garment wears out, they remove the embroidered areas and re-use them in a new piece so that their progeny may share some of the original outfit. Approximate age of this textile is mid 20th century. Condition: Excellent.

This dazzling child's dress front was made by Pashtuns and is probably dated to the 1950s or 60s. The embroidery technique on this textile features couched metallic threads forming an intricate combination of linear and circular designs, so densely arranged as to almost completely obscure the dark purple silk ground. Composed of metallic embroidery (Bokhara couching), the gold 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 until the entire surface is covered, the small holding stitches being staggered from one thread to the next, giving a characteristic relief to the pattern. Measures 22 cm x 27.5 cm. Condition: Excellent.