Thursday, October 7, 2010

Baluchi Embroidery

This is a piece I got in Quetta. I wonder if you can tell from the photograph, it is old and has been well worn by a little girl (and perhaps another little girl before her? and before her...?) Eventually, someone decided they'd had enough of the kurta and they ripped this embroidered bodice yoke (front and back) out and sell it. I got it from a bearded, turbaned Baluch with a shop near Meezan Chowk. He actually sells carpets not embroidered things, but he fished this out of a grimy "shopper" lying behind a stack of kilim cushions.
The neck-hole, despite the slit down the front, is rather tiny...Breshnay, my seven year old had a hard time getting her head through. Havent yet decided what I will do with this. So for now, it sits in my basket of rags.
The little round mirrors have been stitched on with more finesse and firmness than I've seen in any modern pieces. The mirror bits themselves are of rather good quality--none of the back silver has flaked off. I'm no archaeologist but I'd bet real money that this was embroidered at least over thirty (if not more) years ago.

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