Pure Wool Stole with Chain Stitch Embroidered Paisley Palla from Srinagar
Dry clean recommended. Store with natural cedar or neem leaves. Avoid direct sunlight and moisture.
Description
There are greens that carry the memory of a valley still wet from rain, and this stole holds exactly that quality in its cadmium depths. Woven from pure wool in Srinagar, it belongs to a tradition where the needle is as important as the loom. The palla at each end is worked in chain stitch embroidery, a technique long practised by the craftsmen of the Kashmir Valley, where the hook-like aari needle coaxes thread into fluid, unbroken lines. The paisley motifs unfurl with the organic confidence of a craft that does not hurry; each curve resolved through patience rather than mechanical repetition. Against the ivory ground, the cadmium green of the embroidered palla reads as both bold and deeply considered, the contrast rooted in a sensibility that has dressed this subcontinent for centuries. Pure wool lends the stole a drape that softens through wear, growing more personal with every season. Wear it loosely over a ivory or cream kurta to let the palla do its quiet work, or fold it lengthways over the shoulder of a formal ensemble when the occasion calls for understated ceremony.
Complete your look
Hand-picked pieces that sing gently with this one.
Behind this piece
Chain stitch embroidery, known in Kashmir as Kashida, is among the valley's oldest living crafts. Worked with a fine hooked needle called the aari, it traces its lineage through centuries of patronage in Srinagar's old city workshops. The paisley, or buta, is no decorative accident: it arrived through Mughal courts and took permanent root in Kashmiri textile language. On this pure wool ground in cadmium green and ivory, each curved motif is built stitch by deliberate stitch, the thread looping into densely filled forms that carry the weight of a tradition still practised by families in the Dal Lake basin.
How to style
Drape this stole over an ivory or off-white Lucknowi chikankari kurta for a winter lunch, letting the cadmium green speak without competition. For an evening occasion, layer it across the shoulders of a deep forest-green or burgundy Anarkali and anchor the look with oxidised silver jhumkas. On cooler diaspora mornings, knot it loosely over a camel wool coat and pair with tan leather juttis or brogues. The ivory ground makes it equally receptive to festive silk ensembles and understated handloom cotton separates, moving effortlessly between ceremony and everyday refinement.
Fabric & care
Pure wool benefits from gentle hand washing in cool water with a mild, pH-neutral detergent formulated for wool or cashmere. Do not wring or twist; press the water out softly and roll the stole in a clean dry towel. Dry flat in shade, never on a heated rack or in direct sunlight, which fades the cadmium green dye over time. Store folded, not hung, to prevent stretching. Cedar blocks discourage moths without chemical residue. Rested and stored with care, pure Kashmiri wool softens gracefully with age and holds its lustre across many seasons.
More from shawls scarves
Reviews
No reviews yet — be the first to share your thoughts.
From the Journal
Stories about the craft, the loom, and the wearing of a piece like this one.
