HIGHLIGHT OBJECTS

The Kashmir Shawl
Kashmir shawl embroidered with a map of Srinagar Kashmir, c.1870
Museum No.: IS 31-1970.
Given by Mrs Estelle Fuller.

This remarkable embroidered bird's-eye view of Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, shows all the main streets, buildings and gardens of the city, and even includes many tiny boats on Dal Lake and on the River Jhelum, which flows through Srinagar. On the lake is an elaborate boat which bears a ruler (recognisable by his halo) who may be Maharaja Ranbir Singh, ruler of Kashmir from 1857 to 1885. There is evidence that he ordered two shawls to be 'worked into the map of Kashmir' in 1870, and it is quite likely that this shawl is one of them. It had been his intention to present these shawls to the then Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) during his visit to India, but sadly the Prince did not get as far as Kashmir on his travels.

The shawls lay in the royal stores for a time, until it was decided to sell them off to raise some revenue for the state. Only three other shawls with this sort of design and detail are known in the world: one is in the museum in Srinagar; another belongs to HM the Queen, but is currently on loan to the V&A, and the fourth has been acquired by the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.