The most coveted classic shawl is usually the priceless shahtoosh, Persian for ‘king of fine wools’. Pure toosh is woven from the down of (endangered) Tibetan antelopes and is therefore considered very exotic; the shawl is so fine that it can be passed through a wedding ring.
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Which city is famous for wool shawl in Pakistan?
MINGORA: Islampur, a small village situated 13 kilometres away from Mingora city in Swat district, has been associated with the cottage weaving industry since ages. With a population of 17,000, the village residents use sheep wool in the production of shawls.
How much does a shahtoosh shawl cost?
The estimated market value of one Shahtoosh shawl in the western market is around $5,000–$20,000. Shahtoosh is the world’s finest wool having the lowest micron count, followed by vicuña.
Where are shawls made in Pakistan?
The Khan brothers make beautiful embroidery shawls in the Wali Sheenbhag area of Attock, a rural district of Pakistan’s Punjab province. Theirs is the only family that is still associated with this business in the area. In the past the whole village used to do it.
Which city is famous for shawls?
Perhaps the most widely known woven textiles are the famed Kashmir shawls.
Which is the best shawl in the world?
Undoubtedly, the Kashmiri Pashmina shawl is the most famous shawl in the world. In fact, this has been the case since the 16th century. Even now, large groups of Europeans visit the Kashmir valley and look for original Pashmina shawls, even though they have huge replicas present in their hometowns.
Is shahtoosh better than pashmina?
Shahtoosh is the top quality wool, obtained from Chiru goat. The fibre diameter is even less than that of Pashmina fibre. While Cashmere is 12-16 microns in diameter, Shahtoosh fibre is just 8 microns. This property leads it to be so fine that it can easily pass through a finger-ring.
Which is the most expensive shawl in the world?
shahtoosh
Inside the Illegal Trade of $20,000 Shawls Made From an Endangered Animal. Four Tibetan antelopes are killed to make a single piece of shahtoosh, the world’s most expensive wool. Mushtaq Beigh remembers the first time his hands touched the feathery light yarn of shahtoosh.
Why are Kashmiri shawls so popular?
Why are shawls so popular? Ans. Kashmir shawls are highly prized for their fine wool, skilled weaving and embroidery, and soft texture. They are popular because they are used as wedding gifts.
What makes Kashmiri shawls unique?
Kashmiri weavers used a distinctive technique, passing a weft over-and-under two warps. Using discontinuous wefts, it varied the weft colour and created distinct colour areas identical on both faces of the fabric. This also facilitated the creation of complex patterns like the buta to be woven onto the shawls.
Why were Kashmir shawls so expensive?
Every spring, they shed their winter coat and it is collected for the weaving process. One goat produces only about a few grams of Pashmina each year. In addition to this, a single Pashmina shawl requires wool from about three goats. Hence the exorbitant price becomes obvious.
Which state is famous for Pashmina shawl?
Jammu and Kashmir state
For centuries the Pashmina shawls have been woven on handlooms from wool hand-spun from the shaggy coat of a goat, which lives in the heights of the Himalayas in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir state. Thousands of Kashmiris are associated with the ancient trade.
How do Pakistani men wear shawl?
This is another very simple way that men can use to wear a scarf or a shawl.
How to Wear a Shawl: For Men
- Take a shawl or a scare and drape it around your neck with the ends at the front.
- One end should be kept longer than the other.
- Take the longer end and make a knot at the shorter end.
- You are done!
What is Pashmina?
Definition of pashmina
: a fine wool similar to cashmere made from the undercoat of domestic Himalayan goats also : a shawl made from this wool.
What are different types of shawls?
Here’s taking a look at the myriad shawls from India:
- Naga shawls (Nagaland)
- Bhujodi shawls (Gujarat)
- Kapadaganda shawls (Odisha)
- Kantha shawls (West Bengal)
- Kalamkari shawls (Andhra Pradesh)
- Pashmina (Kashmir)
- Pattu shawls (Kullu)
- Himroo shawls (Aurangabad and Hyderabad)
Which country is famous for Pashmina wool?
Kashmir
And in turn, it is Kashmir, where the best quality Pashmina shawls are found. Pashmina comes from an animal fibre Cashmere, derived from the Changthangi goat of Ladakh.
How many types of shawls are there?
The base fabric of Kashmiri shawls is of three types – Shahtoosh, Pashmina and Raffal. Shahtoosh is called the king of wool. It is often known by the name “ring Shawl” because it is so fine that it can pass through a ring.
Why are shahtoosh shawls so expensive?
To manufacture just one shawl, around 350 grams of wool/ fur is needed. One Tibetan antelope gives about 125 grams of wool. Hence, to make just one shawl, wool from 3 antelopes is required! This is one of the major reasons that make it expensive.
How many types of Kashmiri shawl are there?
The basic fabric is of the three types – Shah Tush, Pashmina and Raffal. Shah Tush (King of wool) passes through a ring and is also known as Ring shawl.
How do I know my shahtoosh?
Genuine shahtoosh is characterized by its gossamer, sheer gauze-like quality. The fabric is unbelievably light (a complete shawl weighs under 13 grams), yet it is very warm. The fiber of a shahtoosh is so fine that it is one-sixth of a human hair.
How do you clean shahtoosh?
Machine-Wash Method
Use cold water and a mild detergent. Put the shawl in a bag. Use the machine’s short spin cycle. Rinse the shawl thoroughly.