A Kani shawl is a type of Kashmir shawl originating from the Kanihama area of the Kashmir valley.[1] It is one of the oldest handicraft of Kashmir. This craft has been a part of the valley since the time of Mughals. The shawls are woven from pashmina yarn.[2] The government of Jammu and Kashmir has granted a geographical indication to the Kani shawl, making it illegal to sell shawls made outside of the Kanihama area as Kani shawls.[1]
Kani weaving is believed to be an art indigenous to Kanihama and traced back to 3000 BC.[3] This exquisite shawl was once coveted by Mughal Kings, Sikh Maharajas and British Aristocrats. The Ain-i-Akbari records that Emperor Akbar was an avid collector of Kani shawls.
While the name 'Kani' comes from the area where this particular artisans come from, Kanihama, the word 'Kani' - in Kashmiri - also means a small wooden oblong spool.
Preparation
Kani Shawls are made from pashmina on a handloom. Instead of a shuttle used in regular pashmina shawls, Kani Shawls use needles made from cane[4] or wood.[5] The kanis, or small wooden sticks, are used to create the intricate designs of the shawl. Each kani represents one knot in the weave, and the weaver must follow a graph paper design closely to ensure that the design is accurately replicated.[6]
Only trained craftsmen are knowledgeable enough to weave Kani Shawls properly. The techniques and knowledge have been transferred from forefathers to next generations. It is estimated that of the 10,000-odd kani weavers, only 2,000 are left today.[7]. An artisan skilled in carpet weaving can easily make a Kani shawl because both crafts involve using color coding, known as "Talim," to guide the weaving process. While there are some differences in techniques and tools, the fundamental principle of following the color-coded Talim remains the same. However, Kani shawl making is a specialized art form with unique intricacies and challenges, and skilled artisans in this craft produce the most exquisite and authentic Kani shawls, preserving its traditional heritage.[8]
kani, shawl, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, march, 2016, l. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Kani Shawl news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message A Kani shawl is a type of Kashmir shawl originating from the Kanihama area of the Kashmir valley 1 It is one of the oldest handicraft of Kashmir This craft has been a part of the valley since the time of Mughals The shawls are woven from pashmina yarn 2 The government of Jammu and Kashmir has granted a geographical indication to the Kani shawl making it illegal to sell shawls made outside of the Kanihama area as Kani shawls 1 Contents 1 History 2 Preparation 3 See also 4 ReferencesHistory EditKani weaving is believed to be an art indigenous to Kanihama and traced back to 3000 BC 3 This exquisite shawl was once coveted by Mughal Kings Sikh Maharajas and British Aristocrats The Ain i Akbari records that Emperor Akbar was an avid collector of Kani shawls While the name Kani comes from the area where this particular artisans come from Kanihama the word Kani in Kashmiri also means a small wooden oblong spool Preparation EditKani Shawls are made from pashmina on a handloom Instead of a shuttle used in regular pashmina shawls Kani Shawls use needles made from cane 4 or wood 5 The kanis or small wooden sticks are used to create the intricate designs of the shawl Each kani represents one knot in the weave and the weaver must follow a graph paper design closely to ensure that the design is accurately replicated 6 Only trained craftsmen are knowledgeable enough to weave Kani Shawls properly The techniques and knowledge have been transferred from forefathers to next generations It is estimated that of the 10 000 odd kani weavers only 2 000 are left today 7 An artisan skilled in carpet weaving can easily make a Kani shawl because both crafts involve using color coding known as Talim to guide the weaving process While there are some differences in techniques and tools the fundamental principle of following the color coded Talim remains the same However Kani shawl making is a specialized art form with unique intricacies and challenges and skilled artisans in this craft produce the most exquisite and authentic Kani shawls preserving its traditional heritage 8 See also EditKashmiri handicraftsReferences Edit a b Kashmir s famous Kani shawls get GI status The Hindu 22 March 2010 Archived from the original on 15 September 2018 Retrieved 24 March 2016 Vasudev Shefalee 21 July 2015 Looms of the valley Mint Retrieved 24 March 2016 Beigh Aamir 2018 05 15 Process Of Making A Kani Shawl Pure Kashmir Medium Retrieved 2019 10 02 Kani Pashmina Shawls purekashmir com Retrieved 2019 10 02 Pashmina com 2018 05 28 What is a Kani Shawl amp Kani Pashmina Shawl Price amp How it is made Pashmina Editorial Retrieved 2019 10 02 What exactly is the Kani Shawl Shahkaar Retrieved 2023 05 08 Vasudev Shefalee 2014 04 12 The other side of pashmina Mint Retrieved 2019 10 02 color coding concept Kepra Retrieved 2023 07 30 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kani Shawl amp oldid 1167880298, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
