Kashmir Loom Chain Stitch Kashmiri Oversize Wool Shawl

This luxurious 100% merino wool shawl features an exquisite chain stitch pattern inspired by the kaleidoscope motif on a stonepaste dish (ca. 1580–85) in The Met collection. Painted in brilliant cobalt blue, the dish was produced at the famous kilns in Iznik, Turkey.

Together with a team of master artisans, Kashmir Loom co-founders Jenny Housego and Asaf Ali shepherd a heritage craft into the modern day. Operating between Delhi and Srinagar, Kashmir, a bucolic region at the northern reaches of the Indian subcontinent, Kashmir Loom reinterprets a sartorial superstar: the Kashmiri shawl, which has been adapted by cultures near and far throughout the centuries. Each shawl is handcrafted in small Kashmiri family workshops, where pride and dignity are spun as surely as a soft Pashmina thread on a traditional charka wheel.

This item was created for the Heirloom Project, led by designer Madeline Weinrib. The initiative celebrates the 10th anniversary of The Met’s reimagined Islamic Wing by seeking engagement with global artisans who pursue historic techniques and design principles. The Heirloom Project commemorates The Met’s Islamic art collection, supports the Museum, and endeavors to preserve traditional craftsmanship.