Shawls of Paisley design were in fashion for nearly 100 years, from 1790-1870, during which time tens of thousands were woven and embroidered in Kashmir and Europe, particularly in Scotland, England and France. The Kashmir shawls, known as Jamewaar shawls in India, were all hand woven in a unique style of tapestry weaving that is now a lost art, and are considered by many to be among the most beautiful and intricate examples of textile and carpet weaving. Together with their European counterparts, these shawls and their paisley-based designs have left their permanent mark on the history of textile design.

​

Private collector Romi Lamba, will talk about the history of Kashmir and European shawls. Highlighting various aspects of shawl weaving and design, he will illustrate his presentation by displaying several shawls from his own collection, which includes both antique Kashmir and European shawls dating from 1820 to 1890. Kashmir shawls were all hand woven in a unique style of tapestry weaving that is now a lost art, and are considered by many to be among the most beautiful and intricate examples of textile and carpet weaving.