The Collection

The story of this piece

A taupe ground carries a Durbar scene — architectural arches, figures in procession, a central pavilion. The multicolour tasselled border is a signature of this kind of ceremonial piece; Bashir dyed each tassel bundle separately.

A note on the hand. Shameema works sozni — the finest needlework Kashmir produces. She prefers walnut-dyed thread and works only in daylight, beside a window that faces east. Her father was a copyist of Quranic manuscripts; she says she inherited the steady hand, not the calligraphy.