This Uzbek textile from northern Afghanistan is called a "bolim posh" meaning a canopy held over the bride and groom at the wedding ceremony. Embroidered in couching stitch ("basma") in mostly silk thread on a fine linen ground, it measures 125 W x 134 cm L. Some minor staining consistent with its age (mid to late 20th century)...

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.

An Uzbek ikat-dyed silk ceremonial robe (chapan) from northern Afghanistan, quilted with cotton interlining. Condition is overall good, albeit with some minor staining. It is hand-sewn and densely embroidered along the front collar, bottom hem and wrist cuffs. The inside of the collar is lined with traditional Russian printed fabric. Estimated age: mid to late 20th century...

This lovely cap made by Uzbek women residing in northern Afghanistan measures 21 cm in diameter and 59.5 in circumference. Silk thread in satin stitch on a cotton muslin ground with silk and cotton ikat strips on the dome. Condition is excellent. Estimated age: mid 20th century.

Coarse cotton fabric painted and printed with two leopards. These cloths were used in Afghanistan for a special hunting technique of partridges. Please refer to the article about these textiles in "Asian Textiles: NEWSLETTER OF THE OXFORD ASIAN TEXTILE GROUP", No. 40. From an old Swiss collection. Condition: very good. Dimension: approx. 78 cm x 105 cm.

Intricately worked ladder stitch embroidered in green silk thread on a fine doubled muslin background, this old textile from Maqur district in Ghazni province in central Afghanistan would have formed the sleeve cuffs for a woman's dress. Spiral and volute motifs are harmoniously joined to form an exuberant unity in composition. This textile measures 40 x 48.5 cm and is dated to the early or mid 20th century. The textile has some significant staining, unsurpising given its age.

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.

This lovely embroidery from Afghanistan measures 27 x 36 cm and depicts eight pointed stars in very fine cross stitch on a purple linen background, arranged in four quadrants. Circa mid to late 20th century. Condition: Excellent.

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...

This wallet from Afghanistan measures 15.5 x 31.5 cm and is embroidered in silk thread on a pink satin ground. The embroidery technique is an intricately worked ladder stitch, with button hole stitches and corded silk tassels for closure. The purse is from Katawaz, in Ghazni province, with two interior pockets. Condition is excellent, estimated age mid to late 20th century.

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.

Measuring 5 x 17 inches (12.7 cm x 43.18 cm), this pair of embroidered bands from Afghanistan are dated to the late 20th century and are in good condition with one minor stain on one edge. Cobalt blue and vivid pink are the main colors executed in polyester thread in satin stitch.

A vintage choli from Pakistan, circa late 20th century. Hand embroidered in red and gold metallic thread on black chiffon to form abstract patterns. The choli is lined inside. Condition is excellent.

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.

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...

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 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...

A finely embroidered textile from Afghanistan made by Hazara women, measuring 12 inches by 13 inches. Embroidered in silk thread in mostly filling stich and satin stitch on a white cotton linen background. Although the embroidery designs are geometric and simple, it is the constant change of color on each of the embroidered panels that animates this prayer cloth ("mohr posh"). Late 20th century.

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...

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 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...

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 Pashtun Mangal child's shirt front, circa early or mid 20th century...

A pair of old Uzbek sleeve embroideries dated to the mid to late 20th century. They measure 14.5 x 36 cm combined together. Cross stitch in silk thread depicting geometric motifs on a cotton ground. Condition: Excellent.

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 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 ...

Measuring 18 x 18.5 cm when closed, this embroidered purse from Baluchistan is called a "bushkiri" and would be used for storing or carrying valuables and bridal dowry gifts. Worked in a delicate combination of satin stitch and brick stitch in silk thread, the embroidered patterns are medallion, diamond and chevron combined with continuous zigzag forms. Tassels, braided cord, plastic beads and metal-wrapped thread with the interior lined in red printed cotton. Condition is excellent, estimated ...

This lovely child's hat was hand-embroidered by women of Kohistan, an area of lush green forests and valleys located on the river Indus. The embroidery technique is a fine cross stitch and brick stitch in acrylic thread with white beads and buttons. Diameter: 7.5 inches, circumference: 18 inches. Condition: Excellent. Estimated age: late 20th century. The hat size indicates it was made for an infant or toddler.

A Baluchi saddle bag ("khurzeen") from the mid to late 20th century, measuring 47 x 109 cm. In wool ground with patterned bands in weft-faced, slit tapestry, half pile and half kilim. Strong plaited goat hair loops are attached which are interlaced when closing. Condition is excellent.

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...

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 ...

This Uzbek suzani from northern Afghanistan dates to the mid 20th century or later and measures 76 x 99 cm including the fringes. The textile is hand-embroidered in silk thread in vivid colors on a green rayon ground with copper encrustations throughout, and edged on two sides with crocheted silk fringe. Couching stitch ("basma") is the embroidery technique. The textile is reversible and either face may be used as the front. Condition is overall very good, but with some dye run and one small tea...

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.

This saye gosha (or segusha) shows the dynamic use of line and vivid color for which Uzbek Lakai embroidery is famous. Saye gosha are V-shaped hangings used to decorate piles of quilts while in storage during the day in the yurt. The Lakai are an Uzbek tribe who currently live around Kunduz in northern Afghanistan. Originally more widespread, they were also once found in what is now Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Silk thread in a combination of fine, slanting blanket stitch and double chain stitch o...

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.

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.

A vintage Sindhi rilhi here re-designed into a modern cushion cover. Measures 39 x 64 cm and is in excellent condition. White cotton cording along the edges, with button hole stitching as the main attraction. Mirrors ("shisha") are used extensively in the embroideries of South Asia to attract the sunlight and also to repel the evil spirits ("jinn"). Estimated age mid to late 20th century. Cotton thread on a cotton ground. The textile is in excellent condition given its age, just some slight fr...

Embroidered purses ("bushkiri") are used by the Baluch for carrying and storing valuables and bridal dowry gifts. This purse from Baluchistan measures 20.3 x 32.5 cm when opened, 19.2 x 20 cm when closed, and is dated to the early to mid 20th century. This densely worked purse features intricate repeating geometric patterns and colors worked in a delicate satin stitch, combined with a meticulously worked interlacing stitch on a fine linen ground. The renowned vibrancy of Baluchi embroidery ca...

The Kuchi are the nomadic and semi-nomadic people of Afghanistan. This cushion was made from a traditional Kuchi textile and has burgundy velvet on the reverse with cording along the edges. The embroidery is intricate ladder stitch and button hole stitch, with cotton thread and metallic braiding throughout. Condition is great. It measures 44 x 64 cm. Estimated age mid to 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 ...

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...

Measuring 38.5 x 86 cm, this cushion cover from Hazara District in Pakistan is in excellent condition. 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. However, these pieces are generally more complex in design and construction. On one face of this textile the space is stabilized by two central medallions set within an elaborate network of octagons, diamonds and ram's horns in perfect symmetry. These...

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.

An Uzbek mafrash panel from northern Afghanistan, mid to late 20th century. Silk embroidery in cross stitch, measuring 16 1/4 x 40 1/4 inches (41.3 cm x 102.2 cm). Condition: Excellent. The reverse side of this textile is lined in purple silk with an ikat hem.

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.

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.

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 overal...

This embroidered panel was hand-embroidered by Pashtun women from southern Afghanistan. It measures 23 x 25 cm and is embroidered in silk thread on a double cotton background. The embroidery technique is an intricate ladder stitch, the trademark of Pashtun embroidery. Estimated age: late 20th century. Condition is excellent.

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. This motif is an ancient one, found on many Central Asian textiles including felts f...

A Labijar kilim in slitweave from northern Afghanistan. It measures 70 x 96 cm and is hand knotted from sheep's wool. Late 20th century.

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 Koh...

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. Strong geometric patterns have been embroidered in satin stitch in bri...

An old prayer napkin from Afghanistan, measuring 10 x 11 inches. It features very fine stitching characteristic of Hazara embroideries - satin stitch on a white linen background, in silk threads (yellow, blue, orange, green and red). The embroidery on the reverse side of this textile is exactly identical to the front side. Estimated age: early to mid 20th century. Condition is excellent except for some minor stain on the reverse side, displayed in the last photo.

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.

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 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.

This beautiful textile was made by Pashtun nomadic tribeswomen of Hazarajat. It measures 52 x 65 cm without the fringes (57 x 71 cm including the fringes). Shisha (mirrors) illuminate the textile and are fastened by buttonhole stitches, surrounded by volute designs worked in a very fine ladder stitch in silk thread on a dark purple silk background. The design composition is framed throughout with woven metal-thread braid with blue and white beads edging the textile. Condition: Excellent. Circa...

An Uzbek knotted pile hat from northern Afghanistan, mid to late 20th century. Diameter 18 cm, circumference 50 cm. Condition very good except for two small tears on the rim.

This textile is from Jaghori in central Afghanistan. It measures 25 x 26 centimeters and is in excellent condition. It is embroidered in cross stitch in silk thread and tightly worked into an overall composition that is very typical of the embroidery from this area. Estimated age: mid 20th century. Condition: Excellent.