Past Exhibitions: 2005Paisley and Peacocks: Woven and Embroidered Textiles from Kashmir and the PunjabJune 25, 2005–October 16, 2005 This exhibition brings together two very different but equally striking types of traditional textiles from the Indian subcontinent, both of which are rapidly disappearing from the modern world: Kashmiri shawls, woven at the foot of the Himalayas from the finest and softest wools in intricate paisley patterns; and boldly embroidered women's head coverings from the rural villages of the Punjab. Kashmiri shawls, originally once made for Mughal princes, are treasured for their beautiful patterns, warmth, and lightness. By the late eighteenth century their market had expanded to include the fashion-conscious women of Napoleonic France and Georgian England. By contrast, the embroideries textiles of the Punjab, a region that spans northern India and Pakistan, were made by village women for their own use, working in silk floss on rough homespun cotton. Long unknown in the West, tribal textiles such as the Punjabi embroideries are rapidly gaining international attention for their bold colors and designs.  This exhibition is made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund. Support for the exhibition and related programming has also been provided by the University of Michigan's Center for South Asian Studies and Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Visitors Program at the School of Art & Design, and by Bruce and Mary Paul Stubbs.
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