Sozni Embroidery (Kashmir)

Detail of the Kashmir embroidery of a cloak, late 19th century. Detail of the Kashmir embroidery of a cloak, late 19th century. Copyright Victoria and Albert Museum, London, acc. no. T.75-1964.

Sozni (or suzani) embroidery is a style of embroidery from the Jammu and Kashmir region in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent. The motifs are created in satin stitch and are worked identically on both sides of the cloth, but sometimes in different colours (for example, the dominant colour may be red on one side and blue on the other). This type of work/stitch is sometimes called Dorukha.

The most popular motifs consists of abstract geometric designs, stylised flowers, as well as paisley patterns. They are normally worked in one or two colours, or very occasionally three colours. Sometimes the ground cloth is woven in such a manner (such as with a compound weave) that it has different, dominant colours on either side of the material, to complement the different colours of the embroidery threads.

Sozni embroidery is, among others, used especially to decorate shawls, especially for the panels along the side of the cloth.

See also Kashmir embroidery.

Source: KALE, Smita (2011). Kashmir to Kanyakumari Indian Embroidery: State by State Embroidery of India, Bloomington: Author House, p. 19.

V&A online catalogue (retrieved 9 July 2016).

GVE

Last modified on Sunday, 26 August 2018 14:42
Published in Indian subcontinent
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