Swati Shahtoosh Shawl — Deep Maroon, Diagonal Paisley Jaal

A deep maroon Swati Shahtoosh shawl embroidered across its entire field — rows of paisley and trailing vine running corner to corner on the diagonal, worked in copper, gold and dusty rose with small flecks of blue — framed by an embroidered border on all four sides with a medallion set into each corner. Block-printed, then embroidered by hand The design does not go straight onto the cloth. It is first printed on with carved wooden blocks — an outline in washable ink that maps every line the embroiderer will follow. The blocks themselves are cut by a separate craftsman and a workshop may use the same set for decades. The embroiderer then works the whole design by hand over that printed line. The ink washes out at the end, leaving only thread. The block guarantees the placement is even and the borders match corner to corner, but every stitch, every colour change and all the shading is still done by hand, one needle at a time. A printed shawl would be finished at the printing stage. This one is where the work begins. A full jaal, set on the diagonal A jaal is a net of pattern drawn across the whole cloth, and here it runs in diagonal bands — each band a paisley buta followed by a curl of vine and leaf, repeated row after row so the eye reads movement across the shawl rather than a grid. A full-field jaal is the most time-consuming embroidery we carry. There is no plain ground to rest on; every part of the field is worked, and the diagonal means each row has to stay true across the full width of the cloth. The border closes it all in on four sides, and the corner medallions turn it neatly where the borders meet. One end is left as a plain panel finished with fringe. The colour A deep, wine-dark maroon with a touch of aubergine in it — richer than red, warmer than brown. Copper and gold thread sit closest to the ground in tone, so the embroidery reads as a soft shimmer across the cloth rather than a contrast, with the rose and blue picking out the detail up close. It is the most traditional colour for a winter wedding shawl, and the one that looks most at home over both eastern and western dress. The ground carries a fine self-coloured diamond weave, visible when the light crosses it, so even the unembroidered end has texture rather than flat colour. Details Swati Shahtoosh — handwoven in Salampur, Swat, and hand embroidered in Multan Self-coloured diamond weave through the ground Full-field paisley-and-vine jaal on the diagonal, embroidered border on all four sides with corner medallions; plain end panel with fringe Design block-printed first, then embroidered entirely by hand Approx. 40" × 80" Dry clean only — store folded and away from direct light Each shawl is embroidered by hand, so slight variation between pieces is expected and is the mark of hand work rather than a fault. Ships in Attan's branded box with a thank-you card, ready to gift.