The Gardens of Shalimar
- Phulkari
- Artist unknown
- Silk embroidery on white cotton
- Punjab (India/Pakistan), 19th century
- Koelz Collection, UMMAA 17367
The Shalimar bagh pattern of this shawl is named after the legendary imperial Mughal Shalimar Gardens in Lahore, Pakistan. Like a dense field of flowers, its embroidered blossoms show many variations. Perhaps it was embroidered by several women or was stitched over many years. Or perhaps it is the work of a single artist who chose to break with tradition and experiment with multiple arrangements for her bed of red and indigo flowers.