Skirt Fragment

A length of plain-weave indigo-dyed cotton fabric, unfinished at top and hemmed with brown facing fabric at bottom, most likely intended for a skirt. Stitched with counted thread embroidery and mirror (abhla or shisha) work in yellow (and some red) floss silk (pat in Punjabi) and brown two-ply twisted cotton thread. The design is a geometric abstraction of plant motifs, consisting of trapezoidal lozenges and thin stems with three mirrors per motif, with motifs stacked vertically in staggered columns. Misalignment with top portion suggests that the two pieces were embroidered separately before being sewn together; mirrors applied along the seam were then embroidered after, strengthening (and perhaps disguising) the connection. The field is sparsely filled (not a bagh design in which the field is covered with stitches).