Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art (266)

Embroidered in vivid turquoise silk floss with a top stitch of golden silk floss, this woman's shawl ("phulkari") from Swat Valley measures 97 cm x 198 cm and is in excellent condition. The designs are stylized rosettes with densely embroidered borders and a medallion motif in the center. Black is the dominant color for the background of Swati embroideries, which share many motifs in common with the embroidery from Hazara district. The unique motifs on this wedding shawl suggest Chinese influence and similar stylized floral patterns are found on Tibetan scrolls. The curvilinear motifs and dense areas of stitchery are composed of the characteristic "phulkari" stitch which resembles a satin stitch but only on the front side. It is embroidered from the reverse side on a plainwoven coarse cloth known as "khaddar". This shawl is estimated to date to the late 20th century.

This child's dress front from Gardez in Afghanistan measures 26 x 29.5 cm and is tightly embroidered in cross stitch. The geometric motifs are accentuated by the blue glass beads on each side of the textile, a prophylactic against the evil eye. The front side is embellished with metallic thread and Bukhara stitching, where the thread is taken along in intervals and fastened down by a minute cotton thread. This piece is in excellent condition and its estimated age is mid to late 20th century. It is in excellent condition.

This lovely cushion cover from Swat Valley is densely embroidered in mustard and salmon floss-silk thread in darning stitch on a black cotton ground. The motifs are typical of the embroidery of Swat and Hazara regions of Pakistan, geometric and curvilinear motifs outlined in yellow running stitch. The textile is in excellent condition and features a slit on the back for a pillow insert. It measures 38 x 38 cm. Estimated age: mid to late 20th century.

This cushion cover from Hazara district features stylized floral patterns and curvilinear geometric motifs outlined with a top stitch of black thread on mustard-colored cotton. Touches of turquoise and shocking pink combine with rust-colored silk floss thread to create an overall design suggestive of central Asian influence. It measures 41 x 41 cm and is in excellent condition. Late 20th century.

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.

Some of the finest embroidery of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as North West Frontier Province, or NWFP) comes from Swat Valley, known for its lush green mountains and turquoise colored rivers. The typical 'ram's horn' pattern seen in many parts of central Asian embroideries and carpets is reflected in this cushion cover from Swat. Satin stitch and darning stitch in floss-silk thread outlined in orange thread combine effectively to cover large surface areas of the textile and showcase the central medallion. The color of the thread is difficult to convey on film as it is actually a deep turquoise, alternating with yellow and white thread. The reverse is black cotton with an opening slit for the pillow form. It measures 40 x 41 cm and is in excellent condition. Estimated age: late 20th century.

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. A textile like this may take 3 months to make. The reverse is a red velvet with silver embellishments. The piece is characterized by mirrored solar discs called "gul-e-peron"; while these have an ancient history as talismans, the silver cording on the shoulder hem and front is modern. This textile is dated to the mid 20th century.

Mirrors ("shisha") are extensively used in Afghan embroidery. The silvered mica or glass is attached to the fabric by means of stitched frameworks and encircling borders. By reflecting sunlight, mirrors protect the wearer from negative energies and evil glances. This child's dress front is densely embroidered in silk thread on a purple polyester ground, complemented in royal purple velvet on the reverse. The neckline and outside borders are fringed with dense yellow and orange beadwork with two silver amulets at the neckline. The embroidery technique is a very tightly worked ladder stitch, a hallmark of Pashtun embroidery. This textile is in excellent condition, and its estimated age is mid 20th century. It measures 31 x 32 cm.

This lady's shawl from the Hazara region in Pakistan measures 105 x 224 cm including the fringes. The geometric patterns are hand-embroidered in straight stitching in vivid pink floss-silk with touches of light pink, outlined in yellow double running stitch on a black wool ground. The shawl is dated to the late 20th century and is in perfect condition.

Measuring 32.5 x 208 cm on black cotton, this woman's scarf from Hazara district in Pakistan is embroidered in satin stitch in floss silk thread. The curvilinear motifs are outlined with stitches of golden floss thread. The motifs are arranged into geometric compositions indicative of Central Asian influence. Condition is excellent and its estimated age is late 20th century.

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 king-sized cotton duvet cover from Nepal, measuring 111 x 74½" inches (43.7 x 29.3 cm) in purple, red and green. The viúvavajra ("crossed vajra") and chevron motifs are depicted in wool thread in chain stitch. Condition: Excellent. The vajra (meaning diamond or thunderbolt) is believed to represent firmness of spirit and spiritual power and is displayed in the national emblem of Bhutan.

A pair of hand-carved window frames from Bhaktapur, an ancient Newar city in the Kathmandu Valley. They measure 44 x 45.5 cm and are dated to the late 20th century. Woodwork has been part of Nepal’s traditional architecture and wood carvings have graced temples, monasteries, residential homes and palaces since the twelfth century, although the earliest surviving temple decorated with wood carvings, bears the date 1396. Another traditional architectural site, which is believed to have been built as a shelter for travellers in Kathmandu that still stands, was believed to date back to before 1143 but there is no evidence of its true date. In fact, the history of woodcarving in Nepal is older than that. Woodcarving in Nepal is an excellent example of Newari art. The Newari language comprises of a rich vocabulary of wood carving terms. Each component forms a part of a traditional pattern. Each detail of the craft has a name. The decorative work has to be very precise so that the countless pieces used to make up the pattern fit perfectly, because no glue or nails are used. Historic sources name a kind of wood called Dhusi or Chasi, meaning in Newari "as strong as a tiger". Today mainly agarth, chapa & sal wood is used, as there is plenty in and around the valley. Wood has been the traditional building material in the Valley not only used to form the heavy framework, which forms the essential part of the structure but beams, struts, pillars and roof supports. All the available wood surfaces on the buildings, including doors, windows, cornices, lintels and brackets are formed and carved into decorative patterns of geometrical, floral, animal and human forms.

Depicting curling horned and star patterns, this wedding textile from the Hazara district of Pakistan, in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as NWFP) is densely embroidered in silk floss thread on a black cotton ground. It measures 70 x 77.5 cm and is in excellent condition. The motifs are curvilinear and embroidered in dark red in a combination of satin stitch and long and short stitch, outlined with a top stitch of golden silk floss. Estimated age: late 20th century.

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 dowry purse from Afghanistan, measuring 19.5 cm x 29 when open, 16 x 19.5 when closed. The embroidery technique is silk thread in button stitch with herringbone stitch and long and short stitch. Embroidered on a silk background with mica mirrors, a few of them missing, the purse is otherwise in good condition for its age (mid to late 20th century).

This old patchwork quilt from Pakistan is known as a "rilhi" (from the Urdu word "ralanna", to mix or join). The embroidery is dense, mainly in buttonhole, satin and ladder stitch with some couching, and embellished with sequins, pompoms, mirrors and metallic thread. These quilts play a popular role in the outdoor festivals all over Sindh province that take place to commemorate the Sufi poets and saints ("urs"). This textile measures 28.5 x 54 inches (72.4 x 137.2 cm) and shows wear consistent with its age (mid to late 20th century).

A pair of vintage hand-embroidered make-up bags made by Pashtun nomads from Katawaz, located in Ghazni province, Afghanistan. Each bag is hand-embroidered in silk thread in a tight ladder stitch on a silk background, with some Bukhara stitching where the threads are held down with separate thread in a couching technique, and one bag featuring some small mirrorwork. One of the bags is lined with printed cotton fabric, probably from Russia. Both bags are estimated to date to the mid 20th century. See Bernard Dupaigne's book (Afghan Embroidery © 1996 Ferozsons p. 27) for similar make-up bags. Condition of each bag is excellent, with no flaws nor stains.

A woman's shift ("kurta") from Swat in vivid pink silk embroidery with green and purple accents on a black cotton background. This kurta has exceptionally fine cross-stitch embroidery at the sleeves, suggesting a link with Indus Kohistan. Indeed, it is not uncommon for embroidered panels for dresses from Indus Kohistan to be found in the markets of Swat (see Nasreen Askari, Colours of the Indus, © 1997). This kurta measures 73 inches across the top by 32 1/2 inches from the top hem to the bottom hem. The underarm gusset measures 3 1/4 x 4 1/2. This beautiful textile dates to the mid 20th century.

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.

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 Uzbeks comprise about 9% of the total population of Afghanistan and are a major Turkic ethnic group in central Asia.

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. The width of each panel is 10 inches including the fringes. Condition is overall good with one minor stain and some missing fringes. Estimated age: late 20th century. The reverse is lined with cotton cloth.

Living in the mountainous terrain of central Afghanistan where the cold and snow isolate entire villages for months, the minority Hazara women have developed a terse embroidery style of cross stitch and interlocking eight-pointed star motifs to produce their dowries. This textile from central Afghanistan is embroidered in silk thread on a plain weave cotton linen background. The top right corner is left unfinished, part of this textile's understated appeal. It measures 14 inches by 14 1/2 inches. It is being sold in a glass frame (black metal frame). Condition is perfect. Estimated age: late 20th century.

This vintage Hazara waistcoat from Jaghori in central Afghanistan is embroidered in extremely fine cross stitch in silk thread, depicting interlocking eight star motifs, a traditional motif in Hazara embroidery. The collar, shoulder bands and side panels are meticulously worked in Bukhara stitching in metallic thread, where the couched threads are laid in parallel to each other and are fastened by small stitches. The curvilinear forms form a surface pattern of a neat grid of lines which in themselves create geometric motifs in relief. The yoke measures 28.5 cm from the shoulder hem to the bottom hem, 26.5 cm across the front panel, and 44 cm across with the triangular side panels included. From the collar to the bottom hem the textile measures 28.5 cm. Condition is excellent. Estimated age mid to 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.

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.

The Hazara embroidery of central Afghanistan is extremely fine, worked typically in brick stitch in diamond motifs surrounded by hooked diamonds. This purse was probably used to store a precious object such as the soil or holy stone brought from the holy city of Kerbala. This purse measures 13 x 22.5 cm when open, 9.6 x 13 cm when closed. Silk thread embroidered in brick stitch on cotton. Condition is excellent, and its estimated age is mid to late 20th century.

This purse is worked in a variation of ladder stitch to form repeating whorl and volute motifs on a silk ground. The inside features two pockets lined with purple silk and orange cotton, with the outer edges fringed with blue glass seed beads to protect against the evil eye. The purse measures 14.2 x 25.5 cm and is dated to the early to mid 20th century. Silk thread and metallic couching on silk.

This is an Uzbek puttee embroidered in silk thread on a white cotton ground. The technique is a combination of ladder and satin stitch, depicting star motifs in vibrant colors. The puttee measures 7.4 x 55 cm without the string, and is estimated to date from the early to mid 20th century. The reverse is lined with a red floral print cotton.

This Hazara purse from Bamiyan utilizes satin stitch and brick stitch in a combination of silk and cotton thread to achieve a simplicity in design, depicting diamond motifs and hooked diamond patterns, a trademark of Hazara embroidery. The purse measures 12 x 28 cm and is in excellent condition. The interior features three pockets and is partially lined with a dark blue printed silk fabric. Colored beads embellish the fringes of the purse. Estimated age: mid to late 20th century.

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.

Embroidered in satin stitch in silk thread on a polyester background, this prayer cloth is from central Afghanistan where the minority Shi'a Hazara people live, comprising about 20% of the total population of Afghanistan. This textile depicts the martyrdom of Hazrat Abbas, the half-brother of Hussein ibn Ali, during the battle of Kerbala in Iraq. Estimated age: mid to late 20th century. The textile measures 31 x 34.3 cm and has some background staining.

This is a yurt ornament made by Lakai Uzbeks living in the northern region of Afghanistan. It is estimated to date to the mid to late 20th century and is in excellent condition. The embroidery is satin stitch in silk thread forming traditional geometric designs with a cotton paisley lining on the reverse. The textile measures 11.8 x 86.5 cm including the elaborate tassels and crown knots.

Metallic thread is used to optimal effect in this Pashtun nomad's purse from southern Afghanistan. The thread is not taken through the magenta silk background but applied onto it in couched threads, laid parallel to each other and caught down by a small stitch in colored cotton. The small fastening stitches in cotton contribute to form a surface pattern of a neat grid of lines which in themselves create geometric and curvilinear motifs in relief (the technique is called "pokhtaduzi", or Romanian couching). This exquisitely embroidered purse was probably used to store kohl and other intimate personal items. The mirrors are called shisha and are there to assist in averting the evil eye, secured with button hole stitching. Estimated age: early to mid 20th century. Condition is overall excellent, but with some oxidation on one corner of the purse. The inside is lined with a Russian printed cotton fabric. The purse measures 14 x 20.7 cm when opened, 10.3 x 14 cm when closed. Four silk thread pompoms are used as accents on the purse.

This embroidered cloth from Paktya province measures 22 x 22 cm and is in excellent condition. Eight-pointed stars are repeated in symmetry and bordered by scroll motifs, all executed in silk thread in solid stitchery on a fine pumpkin linen background. This textile is in excellent condition. Estimated age: mid to late 20th century. The last photo shows the textile from the reverse, which is as equally fine in detail as the frontpiece.

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 provinces of Afghanistan. The name "Mangal", is derived from the Sanskrit name for the planet Mars. The Mangals 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.