A Kullu shawl is a type of
shawl
A shawl (from fa, شال ''shāl'',) is a simple item of clothing from Kashmir, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, which is often folde ...
made in
Kullu
Kullu is a municipal council town that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district of the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Va ...
, India, featuring various geometrical patterns and bright colors. Originally, indigenous
Kulivi
Kullu is a municipal council town that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Valley about north of the airport at B ...
people would weave plain shawls, but following the arrival of craftspeople from
Bushahr
Bushahr, also spelt as 'Bashahr' and 'Bussahir' or 'Bushair' was a Rajput princely state in India during the British Raj. It was located in the hilly western Himalaya promontory bordering Tibet in the northern part of colonial Punjab region.
...
in the early 1940s, the trend of more patterned shawls came to rise.
Typical Kullu shawls have geometrical designs on both ends. The shawls may also have floral designs, which may run all over. Each design may have up to eight colors. Most traditional colors are often bright colors, used to emphasize the shawl and make it more appealing, however, there are instances where the shawl is made with a more dull color, such as
pastel
A pastel () is an art medium in a variety of forms including a stick, a square a pebble or a pan of color; though other forms are possible; they consist of powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are similar to those use ...
. Kulu shawls are also crafted in
yak
The domestic yak (''Bos grunniens''), also known as the Tartary ox, grunting ox or hairy cattle, is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region of the Indian subcontinent, the Tibetan Plateau, Kachin Sta ...
's wool,
sheep wool
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool.
As ...
,
Pashmina
Pashmina (, ) refers to, depending on the source, a term for cashmere wool of the Changthangi cashmere goat,Janet Rizvi: ''Pashmina: The Kashmir Shawl and Beyond''. Marg Foundation, 2009. ISBN 978-8185026909. for fine Indian cashmere woolRobert ...
, and other handcrafted material.
History
Prior to national independence, modern and industrialized clothing products did not reach much of the rural parts of the nation. The region in which the Kulivi people inhabit are a temperate region in the Himalayan region, providing an abundance of Sheep, Ox, and various other furred organisms.
Prior to the arrival of more modern craftsmen, the primary attire was Patti woven to protect against the harsh cold typical of the region.
Following the arrival of a craftsman from
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
, the Kullu Shawl became prominent following the introduction of artistic patterns and floral art, it became a significant article of clothing for most inhabitants of the Himalayan area.
References
External links
Handloom & Handicrafts Development
{{Historical clothing, state=expanded
History of Asian clothing
Geographical indications in Himachal Pradesh