Embroidered wall hanging
Name/Title
Embroidered wall hangingEntry/Object ID
2025.10.62Description
This wall hanging has an embroidered centerfield and rows of appliqué borders, both using mirrorwork. Within the cream centerfield, each motif has been defined with zanjiro (chain stitch) and most of the hurmitch (interlaced herringbone) stitches used to fill in the motifs have worn away, especially the darker color. The motifs are narrative in nature and include birds or peacocks of various types, trees or flower bushes in the four corners and two in the center, all embroidered on a background filled with running stitches in a zig-zag design. The borders surrounding this “interior garden” could represent the hills or mountains of the area, formed by the triangle designs on the appliquéd section of the wall hanging. Sections of the appliqué borders have been herringbone stitched in dark colored thread, and the hurmitch worked in orange colored thread. Most of these threads have worn away.Textile Type
Embroidered PanelContext
The women of each jati (birth-based community or clan in India) combine and interpret motifs differently, and the embroideries of each jati have their own characteristic color balance. All the women do embroidery, decorating their textiles with a variety of floral, geometric, animal, and human motifs.Category
Embroidery, Homeware