Embroidery in kashmir

Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabrics or other materials using a needle to apply threat or yarn. Walking down in the streets you can see artisans sitting near window in their homes with fabric on their knees empty threads basket and roll of thread spread out on the floor. There is no evidence which can help us to trace the history of embroidery to its origin, but the 11^th century wall paintings in Ladakh provide a proof of fine work done by Kashmir craftsmen.

Embroidery work in Kashmir except zari where women outnumbered men is the prerogative of males. This is probably due to the influence of the sayyids Sufi dervishes from the neighboring Muslim area, but nowadays women are doing more embroidery than man, we can say that women have also outnumbered men in embroidery crafts .According the local legend the embroidered shawl was the creation of raffoogar called Alibaba it is said that once noticed the imprints of a fowl’s feet left on a white sheet and proceeded to embroider the outline with colored thread to beautiful effect.

In Kashmir Embroidery did not begin as a domestic craft it was organized professionally in Srinagar under the technical guidance of the master craftsman where all the makers of shawl are under one roof whether it is dyer, weaver pattern, embroiders etc and they open their outlets in markets within are outside country, but nowadays it is considered that this industry is unorganized. You cannot find everybody under one roof but still these crafts are still alive

The designs in embroidery are influenced by Islamic design patterns because Islamic tradition had forbidden the use of figurative decorations and emphasis had been on floral and geometric designs. The coming of Sikhs in Kashmir human figures and shikar scenes started appearing on fabrics. The Sikh period is one of the creative periods of craft industry in Kashmir.