Ivory silk and wool long shawl – Norwich

Object History
This beautiful ivory woven silk (shawl Shawl: (Persian: shāl from Hindi: duśālā – Shoulder Mantle), a shawl is a South Asian version of a scarf Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. worn or wrapped loosely over the shoulders and is usually made of wool. ) dating back to the early-19th century was originally a part of the Dr Joan Coleman Collection (purchased at a Phillips auction, in London, on May 25, 1995), and later The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative managed to acquire it from Kerry Taylor Auctions in 2020.
Dr Joan Coleman began collecting shawls in 1976 and developed her lifelong passion for collecting. She was a regular at the London salesrooms of Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips – three of the most outstanding auction houses of the period in the world – getting to know the dealers and learning in the process. She acquired vast knowledge and dedicated hours carefully cataloguing her ever-growing collection. She intended to loan her collection to different museums and institutions for the benefit of learning and education. Her collection is one of the largest and the finest private shawl Shawl: (Persian: shāl from Hindi: duśālā – Shoulder Mantle), a shawl is a South Asian version of a scarf Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. worn or wrapped loosely over the shoulders and is usually made of wool.  collections to have ever graced the world with shawls ranging from Kashmir, Paisley Paisley: (Scottish Gaelic, Pàislig: a town in Scotland), often called buta Būta: (Anglicized Persian: boteh – Pinecone shaped motif), known as paisley in English it is the almond or pinecone-shaped motif, especially in textiles. It is believed to have originated from the Cyprus tree a Zoroastrian symbol for life and eternity. In the current Indian context, however, it simply means motif., boteh, amli, or kalgi in the subcontinent and kazuwah in Arabic, is a Persian tear drop motif with a curved end specially in textiles. Its popularity and subsequent local production in 18th century at Paisley are responsible for its nomenclature., Edinburgh, Norwich, France, and Iran.
 
Object Features 
This rectangular piece of long shawl Shawl: (Persian: shāl from Hindi: duśālā – Shoulder Mantle), a shawl is a South Asian version of a scarf Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. worn or wrapped loosely over the shoulders and is usually made of wool.  is a typical example of the European take on the eponymous Kashmir shawls.
With high waistline, flowing skirts, and (bodice Bodice: (English: body), or bodices the plural form of body, it is the close-fitting garment meant to cover the body above the waist or the torso. However, it was not until the 17th century that the term became synonymous to women’s undergarment. ) detailing pintucks and wide puff sleeves of women’s dresses in Great Britain during this time large shawls like this were the perfect accessories for a balanced silhouette. By the 1850s with the widening of skirts and (crinolines Crinolines: (Latin: crinis – hair, linum – thread, Synonym – Hoop skirt), a hooped or structured petticoat made of a stiff fabric which is composed of horsehair and cotton or linen thread. It was designed to hold a woman’s skirt out and became popular in the 19th century in Europe and the USA.) frames, these shawls became even more popular as it was difficult to wear a jacket or a coat. This resulted in the inclusion of at least one such shawl Shawl: (Persian: shāl from Hindi: duśālā – Shoulder Mantle), a shawl is a South Asian version of a scarf Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. worn or wrapped loosely over the shoulders and is usually made of wool.  in the wedding trousseau of every lady from the aristocracy thus giving rise to the term (kirking_shawl Kirking_shawl: (Scottish: Kirk from Old English: cirice – Church; Synonym: Long Shawl), European versions of and inspired by Kashmiri double shawls in wool or silk manufactured locally in Europe. As a part of the trousseau for aristocratic women, it was often used at their first post-wedding church services and christenings. ) especially in Scotland as they were worn to the kirk or church on the first Sunday after the wedding and then again at christenings of children.
It has an ivory silk plain body of (satin Sātin: (Arabic: Zaytuni: from Chinese port of Zayton in Quanzhou province where it was exported from and acquired by Arab merchants), one of the three basic types of woven fabric with a glossy top surface and a dull back. Originated in China and was fundamentally woven in silk.) weave a broad (phala Phāla: (Etymological origin: Possibly Indo Persian), the wider layer of pattern that forms the border at each warp end or head of a shawl Shawl: (Persian: shāl from Hindi: duśālā – Shoulder Mantle), a shawl is a South Asian version of a scarf Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. worn or wrapped loosely over the shoulders and is usually made of wool. . ) on either (warp Warp: One of the two basic components used in weaving which transforms thread or yarns to a piece of fabric. The warp is the set of yarns stretched longitudinally in place on a loom before the weft Weft: one of the two basic components used in weaving that transforms thread or yarns into a piece of fabric. It is the crosswise thread on a loom that is passed over and under the warp threads. is introduced during the weaving process. ) ends and a very thin (hashiya) which is separately woven and handstitched to the main piece and as well as the tasselled fringes on either warp Warp: One of the two basic components used in weaving which transforms thread or yarns to a piece of fabric. The warp is the set of yarns stretched longitudinally in place on a loom before the weft Weft: one of the two basic components used in weaving that transforms thread or yarns into a piece of fabric. It is the crosswise thread on a loom that is passed over and under the warp threads. is introduced during the weaving process.  ends.
Before the introduction of the (jacquard Jacquard: (After Joseph M Jacquard a French weaver and inventor), is referred to both an apparatus with perforated cards invented by the aforementioned Joseph M Jacquard in 1804 fitted to a loom enabling complex intricate weaving patterns and the brocaded fabric woven on a jacquard loom. ) loom in the 1820s shawl Shawl: (Persian: shāl from Hindi: duśālā – Shoulder Mantle), a shawl is a South Asian version of a scarf Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. worn or wrapped loosely over the shoulders and is usually made of wool.  makers in Europe were not able to weave shawls (selvedge Selvedge: (English: Self-finished edge or self-edge: a dialect forming transition), an edge produced on woven fabric during manufacture that prevents it from unravelling. Traditionally the term selvage applied to only loom woven fabric, presently it could be applied to flat knitted fabric too. ) to selvedge Selvedge: (English: Self-finished edge or self-edge: a dialect forming transition), an edge produced on woven fabric during manufacture that prevents it from unravelling. Traditionally the term selvage applied to only loom woven fabric, presently it could be applied to flat knitted fabric too.  along with its border as one piece. As a result, the body of the shawl Shawl: (Persian: shāl from Hindi: duśālā – Shoulder Mantle), a shawl is a South Asian version of a scarf Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. worn or wrapped loosely over the shoulders and is usually made of wool.  was often stitched to its borders.
The phala Phāla: (Etymological origin: Possibly Indo Persian), the wider layer of pattern that forms the border at each warp end or head of a shawl Shawl: (Persian: shāl from Hindi: duśālā – Shoulder Mantle), a shawl is a South Asian version of a scarf Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. worn or wrapped loosely over the shoulders and is usually made of wool. .  on either end flaunts nine large, elongated floral (paisley Paisley: (Scottish Gaelic, Pàislig: a town in Scotland), often called buta Būta: (Anglicized Persian: boteh – Pinecone shaped motif), known as paisley in English it is the almond or pinecone-shaped motif, especially in textiles. It is believed to have originated from the Cyprus tree a Zoroastrian symbol for life and eternity. In the current Indian context, however, it simply means motif., boteh, amli, or kalgi in the subcontinent and kazuwah in Arabic, is a Persian tear drop motif with a curved end specially in textiles. Its popularity and subsequent local production in 18th century at Paisley are responsible for its nomenclature.) or (buta Būta: (Anglicized Persian: boteh – Pinecone shaped motif), known as paisley in English it is the almond or pinecone-shaped motif, especially in textiles. It is believed to have originated from the Cyprus tree a Zoroastrian symbol for life and eternity. In the current Indian context, however, it simply means motif.) woven in red, pink, blue, and green wool. The (jaal

Jaal: (Sanskrit: jaal – A net, web, or a mesh), the decoration which fills the ground between the paisley cones at the heads of a shawl.

) between the paisleys is composed of thick floral vines in a shape that resembles a column. The (tanjir Tanjīr: (Possibly Persian: zanjir: Chain), a narrow layer of pattern that forms the border and runs above and below the wider layer. ) and the hashiya are both composed of floral vines arranged in a wave.
The distinct feature of this piece that adds to its elegance is the row of eighteen smaller paisleys of similar floral arrangement as is in the phala Phāla: (Etymological origin: Possibly Indo Persian), the wider layer of pattern that forms the border at each warp end or head of a shawl Shawl: (Persian: shāl from Hindi: duśālā – Shoulder Mantle), a shawl is a South Asian version of a scarf Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. worn or wrapped loosely over the shoulders and is usually made of wool. .  immediately above the tanjir Tanjīr: (Possibly Persian: zanjir: Chain), a narrow layer of pattern that forms the border and runs above and below the wider layer.  on both sides. They are also separated from one another with a thick curved vine of floral arrangement.