Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art (266)

This child's hat from the remote valleys of Indus Kohistan measures 15 cm in diameter and 45 cm in circumference. Embroidered in an extremely fine tent stitch (petit point) and ladder stitch in acrylic thread, it features a beaded tassel and a horned amulet made of the teeth of a musk deer, believed to repel evil spirits. The hat is estimated to date to the mid or late 20th century and is in excellent condition.

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.

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 pair of embroidered squares were made by Pashtun nomad tribeswomen of Hazarajat. They dazzle the eye with their vibrant colors and mirrored discs ("gul-i-peron") which enliven the quadrants of each textile. Each square measures 24.5 x 24.5 cm and is embroidered in silk thread on a green silk background, depicting radiating solar motifs in a carefully composed symmetry. A meticulously worked ladder stitch forms the whorl designs central to the composition which is framed by silver metallic thread, with the edges fringed with beadwork. Condition is excellent. Estimated age: late 20th century.

Embroidered in cotton and acrylic thread on a light blue cotton background with sequins and white bead fringing, this child's hat from Indus Kohistan ("Land of mountains") in Pakistan measures: circumference: 50 inches (127 cm); diameter: 6 inches (15.24 cm). Condition is excellent. Estimated age: mid 20th century. The peak of the crown is achieved with wood gathered from the local forests, expertly woven to make the crown. Embroidery technique is a combination of cross stitch, tent stitch and satin stitch in both acrylic and cotton thread.

A hand-embroidered Pashtun nomad purse from Katawaz (Ghazni province) with blue glass beads. Blue beads are considered amulets against the evil eye. Pashtun women, whether settled or nomadic, love rich and beautiful embroideries that shine. Women embroider - for themselves, on their festive costumes and headgear - and for their children and their husbands. Women embroider, not only from pleasure and duty, but equally as a statement of their value and of their love for their husband and children. Traditionally, girls in Afghanistan were taught to embroider from about the age of seven, first following their mother and then other local women. This piece measures 6 x 11¼ inches (15.2 x 28.6 cm) when fully opened and features gold couching and whorl-like designs in herringbone stitch on a red silk background. It is estimated to be about 40 years old.

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.

This is a child's cap made by Uzbeks living in northern Afghanistan, probably in Sar-i-pul province. It is in excellent condition and dates to the mid 20th century. Diameter is 7" (17.8 cm) and the circumference is 20 1/4" (51.4 cm). Silk thread and metallic braid on cotton.

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.

The embroidery of Swat Valley is renowned for its dramatic colors stitched against a black background. This cushion cover from Mingora in Swat is in satin stitch in a deep purple with pink highlights. The embroidery is silk floss thread outlined with yellow outline stitching on a black cotton background. There is one small tear on one corner of the textile. It measures 41 x 41 cm and is dated to the mid or late 20th century.

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.

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.

This textile from Afghanistan measures 24 x 27 cm and is dated to the mid 20th century. The highlights of this textile are the four mirrors ("shisha") which are made of mirror glass and used as an amulet to ward off the evil eye. The embroidery is silk thread on a plum cotton ground, in straight stitch, ladder stitch and Holbein stitch, all combined in an effective way to make the overall composition. The Mangal are one of the largest and perhaps the most powerful and influential Pashtun tribes, residing in southeastern Paktia and adjacent Khost provinces of Afghanistan. The name Mangal is derived from the Sanskrit name for the planet Mars. The Mangal are known for their independent nature, and have a long history of resisting British forces, central and provincial governments, Soviet army, and even fellow Pashtun Taliban militia. Condition of this textile is excellent. The embroidery is all made by hand, not by machine.

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 jinn from the wearer. Three inside pockets. The wallet is estimated age mid 20th century and is in excellent condition. Silk tassels on a braided silk cord forms the closure.

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.

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. As Bernard Dupaigne has noted, a syncretic embroidery tradition has developed in the central provinces where Pashtun and Hazara villages lie in close proximity to each other, a style that incorporates both embroidery traditions - Pashtun and Hazara - thus the difficulty in pinpointing the exact provenance of this particular piece.

Measuring 36 x 222 cm including the beaded tassels, this wedding turban from Hazara district in Pakistan is hand-embroidered in mostly dark pinkish-red floss silk on an indigo dyed cotton ground. The meticulously worked satin stitch is typical of Hazara embroidery with close links to the phulkari embroidery of Punjab. One end of the turban is missing the tassles. Estimated age: mid to late 20th century.

A small beaded purse made for storing kohl. Silk thread embroidered on cotton, worked in extremely fine satin stitch and filling stitch. Indus Kohistan is located in the province of Pakistan formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), recently re-named Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In Persian, Kohistan means Land of Mountains. In Persian "koh" means "peak" and "istaan" means "land of". This textile measures 8.5x10 cm when closed, when opened, 10x16 cm. Condition: Excellent. Estimated age: mid 20th century.