ethnic shawls

Wrap yourself in soft cotton with this lovely shawl from Indian artisan Arnab Roy. Hand crafted from 100% cotton, the shawl features screen printed floral designs appliquéd on soft, peach-colored cloth. Tassels on either end of the shawl make for fun accents.

Designed by a fisherman around 1898, this intricate kente cloth pattern is inspired by beach pebbles. The tiny blocks of pattern represent the thoughts of that ancestral craftsman. Kpekui states a proverbial refrain: "pebbles of the shore are hard to crack." Handcrafted by the Gobah Tengey-Seddoh Family, this extraordinary double weave textile is one of the most difficult patterns to achieve.

Each strip requires considerable effort, and the looms are worked with both hands and feet. Strips are generally three to four inches wide and seven to ten feet long, and the length of time it takes to complete one strip varies by the complexity of the chosen pattern. The simplest use mostly vertical, or warp patterns, and an experienced weaver can make several of those in one day. But patterns with nearly all weft (horizontal thread) patterns, where the warp design is hardly visible, can take up to four days to complete an individual strip. Each color has its own meanings in Asante culture. Green is fertility and new harvest, gold is royalty, black is strength, aging, and spirituality, while white is purity. The patterns themselves are carefully chosen symbols, which a master weaver develops and names, often to honor people, historical events, or proverbs.

Inspired by the traditional kani weaving style of Kashmir, this shawl is woven on the jacquard loom in shades of sky blue and cardinal red. Sajad presents the shawl, which is crafted of beautifully draping modal in a paisley motif.

Creating a floral daydream, blossoms border a hand-loomed shawl from Syed Izaz Hussein. The motifs are a superb example of fine aari embroidery, which resembles a chain stitch.

Glorious flowers in red, brown and orange cover a luxurious wool shawl by Sajad. Created with fine machine embroidery, the motifs emulate India's traditional aari work, a kind of chain stitch. Luscious fringe trims each end.

Delfina Ruiz of Mexico creates this handwoven 100% cotton rebozo on a traditional Zapotec loom. Handwoven with naturally died purple and black cotton in an intricate pattern of stripes of nested diamonds, the shawl is finished with hand-knotted fringe.

Whether it is used for warmth, fashion, and utilitarian purposes like carrying bundles, the rebozo has long had a place in Mexican life. Find your own uses for this versatile shawl by Delfina Ruiz in Mexico. In off-white and sapphire blue, the rebozo is handwoven on a traditional Zapotec loom using cotton threads tinted with all-natural dyes. Long, elegant hand-knotted fringe completes the lovely design.

An extravagant pattern of paisleys and flowers on a background of poppy red makes this modal shawl a standout. Sajad presents the multicolored shawl, which is reversible.

Colorful and beautiful, this rebozo shawl combines silvery grey with black in wonderfully complex patterns. Delfina Ruiz showcases Zapotec textile artistry as she weaves the wrap on a traditional loom. She works in cotton tinted with organic dyes, and finishes the shawl with the luxurious hand-tied macramé fringe typical of Mexican rebozos.

Woven on a traditional jacquard loom, this shawl from Sajad is made from beautifully draping modal. Bold paisley and floral motifs in melon, rose, taupe and beige make this accessory a standout.

Against a body of teal and navy, colorful flowers dance under paisley clouds in a stunning jamawar from Sandeep Malhotra. So intricate was the work of an authentic jamawar that a person could finish only one shawl in his lifetime. Such shawls were not sold, but were given to kings and queens who, in turn, gave the artisan properties according to the worth of the shawl. Authentic jamawar is virtually unavailable, but replicas such as this recall their amazing beauty.

Conjuring the mystical beauty of evening, Sandeep Malhotra designs a cozy shawl in shades of black and gray. The elegant wrap is woven by hand of virgin wool. Hand embroidery in cheerful hues accentuates its lavish floral patterns.