Cashmere Heritage Tr. Co.

Cashmere Heritage Tr. Co. BRIEF HISTORY OF KASHMIR SHAWLS


While the origin of shawls in the world can be traced back more than 700 years, it is not confirmed to say when, where and by whom the first shawl was made.The art of weaving in the Kashmir valley, was introduced in mid 14th century.
It's said that a peasant called Ali Baba once noticed the imprint of a fowl's feet left on a white sheet and he proceeded to embroider the out line with colour thread to beauty the effect, thus the shawls with embroider was introduced. Silk thread is used for embroidery.
The artisan has to twist the raw silk as per the requirement and size of needle hole. Such is the intricacy of fabric and embroider that it effects the vision of the artisan and some embroidered shawls takes 2 to 4 years time to complete.
By the 16th Century, the Kashmir shawl industry was an old and well-established one and Fabrics Bernier describes it in the late 17th Century, which leaves no doubts that he is referring to the same pashmina shawls that become famous as Kashmir (Cashmere) Shawls. It became a garment of high fashion, the style being set by Empress Josephine after she received Kashmir shawls as gift from Napoleon. The shawls became a habit to the wardrobe of every fashionable woman in Europe, particularly in France. The Industry flourished during this period.
Pashmina refers to a type of cashmere wool made from it. The name comes from “Pasmineh”; originate from the Persian word for wool “pashm”. This wool comes from “changthangi” or pashmina goat – a special breed of goat indigenous to high altitudes of the Himalayas. The wool has been used for hundreds of years to make high-quality shawls that bear the same name. The goat sheds its winter coat every spring and the fleece is caught on thorn bushes. Villagers would scour the mountainside for the finest fleece to be used. Cashmere shawls have been manufactured in Kashmir for hundreds of years.Pure pashmina is a rather gauzy, open weave, as the wool cannot tolerate high tension.