Page 123 - ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS Carpets, Ceramics Objects, Christie's London Oct..27, 2022

101
A NARRATIVE KASHMIR SHAWL
NORTH INDIA, SECOND HALF 19TH CENTURY
Pashmina wool ground tamboured with silk showing characters from the This impressive and charmingly decorated embroidered shawl (amli rumal) is
Shahnama of Firdawsi and Khamsa of Nizami, within a border decorated with a fine example of the artistic mastery of Indian textile production. Needle-
figures and animals, two ends with a further border of alternating coloured
work embroidery was introduced into Kashmir originally as a faster and
cartouches and tassles
cheaper alternative to weaving given the high taxation placed on woven
71º x 67¿in. (181 x 170.5cm.)
goods. Intended to imitate the woven textiles it soon became clear that
£25,000-35,000 US$29,000-40,000 chainstitch embroidery offered a new opportunity for a freedom and
€29,000-40,000 ambition of design not possible on a loom. By the 1830s a new genre arose
incorporating new motifs with human figures and animals, moving away from
This richly decorated shawl would have no doubt been a time-consuming
Mughal inspired floral design (Stronge, op.cit.).
and costly commission. For a single shawl the annual fleeces of four goats
was required with wool so fine it is one sixth the thickness of a human hair.
Before long literary themes, as found on our shawl, became popular
This pashmina wool ground is then generously embroidered with silk, that
subjects. More elaborate shawls combined verses and scenes from
most precious of fabrics, with rich and intricate patterns much like a fine
Persian romances such as the Khamsa of Nizami (see Irwin, The Kashmir
Kashmir map shawl which was sold in these Rooms, 27 March 2022, lot
Shawl,London, 1973, pls.26 and 27; Victoria & Albert Museum, IS 0803).
96. A shawl depicting a map of Srinagar commissioned by Maharaja Ranjit
Interestingly and rather charmingly the scenes on our shawl do not relate
Singh (r.1801-1839), now in the Srinagar Museum, took the artist Ghulam
to one specific literary source but several. Many of the cartouches draw
Mohammad Kulu 37 years to complete, by which time his patron had passed
upon the tale of Bahram Gur from the Khamsa of Nizami and we see
away. Another pair of shawls were commissioned by Ranjit Singh, almost
the king in various pavilions with various princesses. Further to this we
certainly embroidered, for which he paid a staggeringly large sum of 50,000
also find depictions of Kay Khusraw, Kay Kavus, and Jamshid from the
rupees in advance. Pieces befitting royalty, another shawl depicting scenes
Shahnama of Firdausi. We also have a scene showing Sikandar Shah
from Sikandarnama dating to 1852, was commissioned by Maharaja Gulab
(Iskandar) which whilst possibly also relating to the Shahnama, likely also
Singh (r.1846-1856), first ruler of Jammu and Kashmir (Sue Stronge, Arts
draws upon the Sikandarnamawhich again relates it to the aforementioned
of the Sikh Kingdoms, London, 1999, p.128). Pieces clearly befitting royalty,
Gulab Singh shawl of 1852. Other figural shawls have sold in these
another shawl sent as a gift to Queen Victoria is now at the Victoria & Albert
Rooms, 18 June 2019, lot 55 and 26 June 2020 lot 33.
Museum on loan from the Royal Collection (ROYAL.743).
120 In addition to the hammer price, a Buyer’s Premium (plus VAT) is payable. Other taxes and/or an Artist Resale Royalty 121
fee are also payable if the lot has a tax or λ symbol. Check Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of this catalogue.