Print this page

'Gelakdos' Embroiderers, Kashmir

Group of 'Gelakdos' embroiderers, Jammu and Kashmir, India, 1890's. Group of 'Gelakdos' embroiderers, Jammu and Kashmir, India, 1890's. Copyright British Library, UK. shelfmark Photo 15/10(3).

In the 1890's a group of three male embroiderers was photographed in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent, in modern Jammu and Kashmir. They are decorating floor coverings. The large covering in the centre is called a namdah and is being embroidered with an ari hook and a chain stitch.

Namdahs are made of pressed wool or wool and cotton, and have a frayed edge. The designs are made with woollen threads. They include animals, flowers, fruit, but also geometric forms. Namdahs can also be used as wall hangings or even as bed covers.

See also the blog about namdah production (retrieved 22 June 2016).

See also the TRC Needles entry on three embroiderers in Kashmir.

British Library online library (retrieved 22 June 2016).

WV

Last modified on Saturday, 25 February 2017 20:39