Lot of Five Two-ply Fashion Face Masks from Lucknow with Chikan Embroidery and Cotton-Backing
Machine or hand-wash cold, inside out. Air-dry in shade. Iron on medium heat. Wash with similar colours the first time.
Behind this piece
Chikankari is Lucknow's oldest living textile conversation, believed to have been refined under Nawabi patronage in the eighteenth century and carried forward by generations of karigars in the old city's narrow lanes. The embroidery relies on a vocabulary of stitches, shadow work, phanda, murri, and bakhiya, each applied by hand onto fine cotton cloth. These masks bring that courtly needlework into everyday use, placing delicate white threadwork against cotton that breathes gently against the skin. Lucknow's craft here is not decorative afterthought; it is the entire point of the object.
How to style
Wear the floral-worked masks with a white chikankari kurta and straight palazzo trousers for a Lucknowi-inflected afternoon occasion, completing the look with oxidised silver jhumkas. For a diaspora gathering, pair a shadow-work mask with a pastel chanderi dupatta draped over a plain kurta. On cooler evenings, coordinate the embroidered cotton against a hand-block-printed cotton dress in ivory or pale sage. Kolhapuri sandals in natural tan ground any of these combinations without competing with the textile. The mask, worn with intention, becomes part of the outfit rather than an interruption to it.
Fabric & care
Hand-wash each mask separately in cool water with a mild, pH-neutral detergent, keeping the embroidered face away from hard surfaces to protect raised stitches such as phanda and murri. Do not wring; press gently between two clean cotton towels to remove excess water. Dry flat in shade, as direct sunlight may yellow the white threadwork over time. Iron on low heat from the reverse side only. Store flat or loosely rolled, never folded sharply along the embroidery. With consistent gentle care, pure cotton chikankari retains its softness and stitch integrity across many seasons of use.
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