Indian Wool Wedding Shawl

Near-black cloth sparkling at both ends with gold and mirror embroidery.

This dyed wool wedding shawl from Gujarat is from Gujarat, India, and dates to the 20th century. Gujarat is known for rich textile traditions, including embroidery, tie-dye and woven cloth made by many different communities, often for weddings and festivals. Wide rectangular textile in deep maroon-black, covered in small stitched diamonds and a few flower-like discs in the centre. Heavily decorated borders in golden thread and tiny mirror pieces sit at top and bottom, with a short fringe. It is 37.5 inches wide and 90 long.

Plain at heart and showy at the hems.