Most Famous Handicraft of India - Pashmina Handicraft

 Pashmina Handicraft is most famous handicraft of India. Pashmina accessories are known for their softness and warmth. Pashmina is a type of fiber made up of goats hair .the goat named as changthangi goat. This goat is exotic and is only found 15000 feet above sea level in Ladakh.the art of Pashmina  is rarer and revered all over the world. Pashmina is considered the finest craftsmanship in the world which transforms the exceptionally warm and delicate . pashmina refers only to those fibres that range from 12 to 16 microns. . Pashmina has fascinated kings, royals, and people all over the world by its magical allure and a traditional grace. it's not just today that Pashmina has patronage from around the world. There were times when this art was favoured with royal patronage. Kings, queens, royal families and nobles all over the world knew Pashmina. In fact, they owned a large number of shawls and scarves.

 History of Pashmina :

 Pashmina was introduced in india at the times of Mughals in 16^th century.In Mughal times, pashmina was used as an indicator of rank and nobility. During that time there is a tradition of giving khilat that is "robes of honor", which is made up of expensive fabric to members of  durbar to indicate high service, great achievements. The khilat was in a form of a set of clothes, which could include a turban, long coat, gown, jacket, sash, shawl, trousers, shirt, and scarf and these could be made of pashmina and embroidered in gold cloth.From the 16th to the early 20th centuries, the Safavid, Zand, and Qajar emperors of Iran also wore pashmina and gifted Kashmir shawls as khilat within their political and religious practices.

At that time Pashmina blankets were also vital additions to a wealthy woman's dowry in India, Pakistan and in Nepal. Pashmina or kashmiri shawls became coded as women's luxuries during that period. They acquired the status of heirlooms, worn by a girl on her marriage and coming-of-age and as heirlooms that women would inherit rather than purchase. the Kashmir shawl served as an item of high exchange value that a woman could carry.

 In France, the pashmina Kashmir shawl also gained status as a fashion icon . Empress Josephine's enthusiastically used kashmiri shawl. The shawl became a symbol of French bourgeois status from the Bourbon Restoration through the Second French Empire .As a class marker, it fulfilled 19th century French tastes because it looked rich, had extensive ornamentation, artistic qualities.

 How Pashmina is produced :

 Changpa are nomadic people they rear sheep in the Changthang plateau of Tibet, which has a minimum altitude of 13,500 feet above sea level and a winter temperature which can drop to −40 °C ,There  Changpa rear goats in  harsh climates for wool .they collect wools or raw pashmina and than is exported it to Kashmir. then in Kashmir  from the process of removing impurities ,aligning fibers ,collecting and spinning, to weaving and finishing, were traditionally carried out by hands , by specialized craftsmen and womens. The approximate time to producing a single traditional pashmina stole (70x200cm) takes 180 hours. All the Pashmina assesories  are available in a range of sizes, from "scarf" 12 in × 60 in (0.30 m × 1.52 m) to "wrap" or "stole" 28 in × 80 in (0.71 m × 2.03 m) Raw (left) and de-haired (right) Cashmere Pashmina wool to full-sized shawl 36 in × 80 in (0.91 m × 2.03 m) and in rare cases, "macho" 12 ft × 12 ft (3.7 m × 3.7 m). Pure pashmina is a rather gauzy, open weave, as the fibre cannot tolerate high tension. The most popular pashmina fabric is a 70% pashmina 30% silk blend, but 50/50 is also common. The 70/30 is tightly woven, has an elegant sheen and drapes nicely, but is still quite soft and light-weight. A craze for pashmina shawls, known as shahmina in Kashmir. The major center of pashmina fabric production is in the old district of the city of Srinagar.

 Dyeing and Finishing of Pashmina :

Generally, Pashmina fabrics are dyed with dark shades and with bright colours like red, blue-green, yellow, and black. Dying with acid dyes is carried out at PH 2-3, with the addition of sulphuric acid. The dying is carried in weak acetic condition by adding acetic acid or sodium acetate. The other important dye used for dying pashmina fabric is 1:2 metal complex dyes. This class of dye provides excellent washing and light fastness to the pashmina fabrics. the local dyers at Srinagar – Kashmir use a different type of levelling agents in order to facilitate quick and even dying. The dying of shawls is carried out in a pot type dying vessel heated with gas stove by exhaust method. The dying of shawls is done individually by hand dying technique.

After dying the fabric is air dried under relaxed conditioned. Pashmina yarns and fabrics are also dyed using natural dyes. The dyers are using indigo for blue, Annotate seed for getting the red colour, and henna, myrobalan for getting yellow and brown shades.Dyeing is also done by hand, and each piece individually. Dyers with immense patience and generations of experience are the ones who dye the Pashmina shawls, as even the smallest negligence reflects on the quality of the product. Only metal and azo-free dyes are used, making the shawls completely eco-friendly. The pure water used for dying is pumped up from deep beneath the surface. Dyeing is done at a temperature just below boiling point for nearly an hour. Pashmina wool is exceptionally absorbent, and dyes easily and deeply.

 Types of designs & patterns woven on the pashmina shawls :

Buti : This motif is a small singular flower design. It may or may not depict a root structure. 

Buta : This motif is multi floral & a lot bigger than a buti.   

Buta-Buti : This motif is in between the sizes of the buta & buti. It is bigger than a buti & yet smaller than a buta. This particular motif may include double, triple or even quadruple flower heads. But they have always remained less than a buta in size.

Khat-rast : This pattern is a striped one & runs throughout the length of the shawl.  Sometimes it incorporates the buti in the stripes. 

Badam/Ambi/Kairi : This motif is known throughout the world as the “Paisley”. It has  been the dominant motif in the majority of the shawls. 

Lahariya : This motif is in zig- zag form & is usually used to depict water.

Shikargah : Shikargah means hunting. This motif in shawls depicts jungle scenes with a lot of animal & human figures. 

Zanjeer : Literally meaning chains, this is the horizontal border design & encloses the main motifs, such as the buta, paisley etc. 

Hashiya : The hashiya is the vertical border woven along the length of the shawl.   

Cypress : This motif is denoted by a cluster of flowers & leaves emerging from a  single stem. Often times, the stem is accompanied by a root structure. Many a times,the top most bloom has a tilted head making it a barely asymmetric motif.  

Bouquets : This motif denotes an elaborate cluster of flowers sometimes absent of   leaves but always has a big flower motif at the center, surrounded by smaller flowers.This motif lacks a root structure. Often, the stem is shown to be emerging from a proportionately tiny vase or dish. 

 There were a lot of designs & patterns that were woven on the Pashmina shawls. The most popular ones includes:

·    Amongst the embroidered ones, similar patterns & designs are made. The flexibility given by the technique of embroidery allowed the embroiderers to explore a lot more in terms of motifs & designs which was somewhat restricted by the kani technique.

  

Types  Pashmina embroideries :

There are various types of embroideries adorning the Pashmina, adding to its value & elegance. Among them, the Sozni Embroidery is the heart of Kashmir & Pashmina .The other forms of embroideries on Pashminas include Tilla, Paper Mache and Kantha embroidery.

·     Sozni embroidery : Sozni embroidery uses thin needles and silk threads or a “staple” yarn to create elaborate floral or paisley patterns on pashmina shawls and stoles. The colorful motifs are so meticulously embroidered that the pashmina base is barely visible. Sozni requires patience and hard work as a single shawl can take up to two to three years to complete, with master craftsman working on it for six hours every day.

Papier Mache Embroidery: This type of embroidery has the same technique as sozni, but the threads used are thicker and brighter. Satin threads are used to form bright motifs. Later they can be outlined with a black thread to give a protruding effect.

Tilla Embroidery: A royal tilla embroidered pashmina is an unmatched luxury clothing to own. Tilla is a golden thread, which is used to embroider paisleys, florets along the borders of a Pashmina shawl. A tilla shawl looks nothing than a precious jewel.Done with needles as thin as size 28, this captivating embroidery makes every wrap a truly regal affair.

Kalamkari Embroidery: Forte of Najibabadi craftsman and rafoogar, this Kalamkari technique imitates antique woven designs of the do-rukha Kashmir Jamawar shawls of the 1860s. It consists of mixing hand-painted art with innovative decoration and outlining beautiful floral patterns on the pashminas.

Kantha Embroidery: Literally meaning “rags” in Sanskrit, the word kantha originated from the West Bengal state of India. It was used for the pile of worn out silk and muslin clothes that women stitched together as a drape in brisker weather.

 Today, it represents a type of embroidery that is done with a simple running stitch along the edges of the fabric, while adding stunning motifs of flowers, animals, birds and geometrical shapes on stoles and scarves.

 

What makes hand-crafted Pashmina so expensive?

Pashmina weaving has always been a very laborious work From the combing out of the fleece from goats to separating individual fibres; then hand spinning it from fibre to yarn; then the entire weaving process & dyeing; & finally the intricate embroidery. The number of man hours put in through all these stages is astonishing !The combing out of the fleece of the entire changthangi goat livestock takes place over a few months. This fleece is a mixture of fine fibre, dirt, coarse hair from the outer regions of the goat, mixed with other organic material from the goat such as sweat & dandruff.The next stage is the most tedious one, involving the separation of the fine fleece from the coarse outer hair. This hand dehairing of the pashm fibre is a lengthy process, with 50 gms of pashm taking up to 8 hours for separation.The pashm wool’s natural oil & other impurities are then removed. This freshly cleaned pashm wool is then straightened by passing it through an upright comb.

The Spinning Process :The spinning wheel is used for spinning the pashm to form pashmina yarns. This step is usually carried out by the women folk of the house & requires a skill set that has been passed down through generations.For spinning, the fibre has to be manipulated as it leaves the spinner’s fingers & onto the spindle. The spun yarn is doubled up& twisted again using the spinning wheel. It is then wound onto a large reel.This large reel, with the yarn wound around it is used to make hanks of yarn using wooden blocks with large dowels fixed into them.These hanks are then sent to the weavers.

The Weaving Process:The weavers then lay the warp using continuous lengths of yarn. After the required number of warp threads are set, they are lifted, spread & smoothened out before fitting them on warp beam. The warp beam is detached from the loom for this purpose & is suspended from the ceiling. The loose ends of the warp are cut & inserted individually into the heddles. It is then fitted back into the loom once the warp is set & given a few turns to tighten the warp. Only about 6-7 inches of warp are left for the weaver to start working on.For plain shawls, the hanks are not dyed. Rather, once the shawl is ready, it is then dyed in the desired color & sent to the embroiderer.If, however, the weaver wants to weave kani shawls, then, on consultation with the designer & the weaver, the amount of yarn required for each color is calculated. It is then dyed accordingly.The dyers of pashmina have also been in their respective craft since generations & were known to keep the secret of colors within the families, completely excluding outsiders from it.Each of these steps requires an expert skilled artisan. Any mistake in these steps will lead to an improperly crafted shawl, altering its fineness & soft feel.

 Reason behind Pashmina’s Delicacy :

The factors which determine the quality of pashmina are its fineness, its fiber length & color.The raw pashm is available in colors ranging from white, considered the most premium, to brown & grey. The diameter of the fibre determines its fineness & is measured in microns, i.e., 1/1000 of a millimetre. The pashm from the changthangi goat is between 13 to 19 microns. The suitable fibre length for hand weaving of “pashm” is more than 5 cms. The Changthangi goats that live at higher altitudes produce longer pashm fibre.

                      

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