Art lounge

09/10/2017

This is made with the golden hands of our experienced master weavers from Kashmir.
100% pure Pashmeena with pure cocoon silk embroidered shawlls.

06/06/2017

Kashmir the paradise on earth

04/06/2017

09/04/2017

Making of Pashmeena shawlls

23/01/2017

History of pashmina
Pashmina is a fine type of cashmere wool. The textiles made from it were first woven in Kashmir.[1][2] The name comes from Persian: پشمینه / pašmina, meaning "made from wool"[2] and literally translates to "Soft Gold" in Kashmiri.[3] The wool comes from four distinct breeds of the Cashmere goat; namely the Changthangi or Kashmir Pashmina goat from the Changthang plateau in Kashmir region, the Malra from Kargil area in Kashmir region, the Chegu from Himachal Pradesh in northern India, and Chyangara or Nepalese Pashmina goat from Nepal. Pashmina shawls are hand spun, and woven in Kashmir and Nepal, and made from fine cashmere fibre.[1][4]

History

The fibre is also known as pashm or pashmina for its use in the handmade shawls of the Himalayas.[5] The woolen shawls made in Kashmir are mentioned in Afghan texts between the 3rd century BC and the 11th century AD.[6] However, the founder of the Pashmina industry is traditionally held to be the 15th century ruler of Kashmir, Zayn-ul-Abidin, who introduced weavers from Central Asia and even today, the master craftsmen in Kashmir pay tribute at his grave.[6][7]

Pashmina goats, Ladakh
Cashmere shawls have been manufactured in Nepal and Kashmir for thousands of years. The test for a quality pashmina is warmth and feel. Pashmina and Cashmere are derived from the "capra hircus" mountain goat. One distinct difference between Pashmina and generic Cashmere is the fibre diameter. Pashmina fibres are finer and thinner (11-15 microns) than generic cashmere fibre (15-19 microns),[8] and therefore, ideal for making light weight apparel like fine scarves. Today, however, the word "Pashmina" has been used too liberally and many scarves made from natural or synthetic fiber are sold as Pashmina creating confusion in the market. The exorbitant price of a Pashmina shawl is due to the quantum of expert craftsmanship that goes into creating each shawl and the rarity of the Pashmina wool - the wool is used in an authentic Kashmiri Pashmina comes from the Changthangi breed of the capra hircus goat and this breed constitutes less than 0.1% of global Cashmere production.

As the fibre diameter is very low, Pashmina has to be hand-processed and woven into products such as shawls, scarves, wraps, throws, stoles, etc. However, the quality of a finished shawl is not solely dependent on the fibre diameter of the wool but also on the craftsmen's skills. Pashmina products are made only in Kashmir

18/01/2017

A Kani shawl is a type of shawl originating from the Kanihama area of Kashmir It is one of the oldest handicraft of Kashmir. This craft has been a part of the valley since the time of Mughals. The shawls are woven from pashmina yarn.
Kani pashmina Shawls as the name suggests are made on the wooden loom with small sticks used as Bobbins, small and eyeless known as ‘Kani’ in Kashmiri to weave the shawl. This type of weaving is quite unique; designs are actually formed while weaving those using sticks reeled up on a wooden spoon with different threads of pashmina which are specially dyed with colors to be used in the particular pattern. Each shawl to be woven has its own script drawn by the Naqash with different color codes and number of pages containing the script goes up to 60 pages (usually the intricate ones) to guide the weaver. In the typical Kani shawl weaving, no embroidery is undertaken and therefore makes it unique. After the shawl is complete they are brought down from the loom and prewashed to remove the starch that helps in effective weaving by binding weft with rows of threads together. Finishing is also important at this stage before the final wash and finally Ironed before it is ready to be exported. Due to such sophistication, Kani shawls take longer time and require dedication by a single weaver. The lighter the Kani shawl is more it is valued. A good Kani will have a clearer picture and a design. Kani Shawls are thus unique and famous since they originally graced the likes of Great Kings and famous personalities around the world. Kani shawls thus have become part of great Indian Culture and still haven’t lost their charm and continue to be in demand nowadays.