Shawls or Wraps
Shawls or Wraps
A wrap can refer to a shawl or stole wrapped about the upper body, or a simple skirt-type garment
made by wrapping a piece of material round the lower body especially made from the hands.
A shawl is a simple item of clothing, 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, that is often
folded to make a triangle but can also be triangular in shape. Other shapes include oblong shawls.
Kashmir, in India, was a pivotal point through which the wealth, knowledge, and products of ancient
India passed to the world. Perhaps the most widely known woven textiles are the famed Kashmir shawls.
The Kanikar, for instance, has intricately woven designs that are formalized imitations of Nature.
The floral designing appears like heavy close embroidery-like weave in dull silk or soft pashmina wool,
and usually comprises small or large flowers delicately sprayed and combined; some shawls have net-like
patterns with floral ensemble motifs in them. Still another type of Kashmir shawl is the Dourukha, a
woven shawl that is so done as to produce the same effect on both sides.