Kimkhwab (Kim-Khwab, kamkhāb, ḳamkhwāb, ,, ) is an ancient Indian brocade art of weaving ornate cloth with

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

, silver, and

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

yarns. Kinkhwab is a silk damasked cloth with an art of zar-baft (making cloth of gold), The weave produces beautiful floral designs that appear embroidered on the surface of the fabric. it was also known as puspapata or cloth with woven flowers. Kimkhwab is a fabric of silk with leaves and branches woven in it "Kamkwabs, or kimkhwabs (Kincob), are also known as zar-baft (gold-woven), and mushajjar (having patterns)."—Yusuf Ali The mushajjar is also mentioned in Ain-i-Akbari.

Name

“''Kimkhwab''” is a

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

word that means a little dream. ''Hiranya'' means cloth of gold, as mentioned in

Vedas upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute th ...

(c. 1500 BC). And in It is called ''puspapata'' during

Gupta empire The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...

(4th–6th century AD).

Etymology

kimkhwāb derived from Pers. kam-khwāb, 'less sleep,' because such cloth is rough and prevents sleep! "The ordinary derivation of the word supposes that a man could not even dream of it who had not seen it (kam, 'little,' khwāb, 'dream')". Platts and the Madras Gloss. take it from kam, 'little,' khwāb, 'nap.'

Texture

The art has a flavor of Arab-Persian culture in it. The fabric was woven with

tapestry Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads ma ...

weave, Kimkhwab was nearly thick because of its

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

lic yarns and patterns, but some fine qualities were also there, especially for wealthy people. The most of the patterns were floral, nature inspired such as plants such as the poppy, and pine tree, etc.

Manufacturing

Kimkhwab work of

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

, Surat was famous in the Mughal Empire from 1556 to 1707. Two more centers, Aurangabad and Paithan, were also noted for their production. The value was priced with contents of gold, silver, or silk and motifs.

References

{{Reflist Indian clothing Weaving

Name

Etymology

Texture

Manufacturing

See also

References