exhibition
  • current exhibition
  • past exhibition
  • upcoming exhibition
  • greeting
  • iwatate's profile
  • publishing
  • members

Phulkari — Gleaming Head Covers Embroidered
December 1st, 2016 - March 18th, 2017

The phulkari is regularly used in the farming areas of Punjab. Cotton is picked and spun into thread, which is woven into a narrow cloth. Three pieces of the cloth are sewn together to produce a head covering. The cloth can dark red or reddish brown dyed with madder, dark blue indigo or bleached white. It is embroidered all over with silk floss threads that are purchased in shop. The Punjab is a fertile land fed by five rivers and blessed with abundant sunshine. Women who live surrounded by colorful flowers and golden rice plants reproduce these bright colors all over their textiles. Girls in the Punjab learn phulkari embroidery from their mothers or grandmothers, starting with simple pieces for everyday use. Then, as their skill improves, they produce more refined pieces and by the time of their wedding, they have a fine trousseau of their own making.