Methods of Manufacturing Shawls

William Simpson, a Scottish ‘war artist’ visited India several times in the second half of the 19th century and published his drawings as a set of chromolithographs in ‘India: Ancient and Modern’ in 1867, written by John William Kaye. These images present a detailed and wide-ranging representation of India through Simpson’s eyes, elaborating on contemporary manufacturing units of economically viable textiles.

The plates illustrates the process of manufacturing and embroidering Cashmere shawls that were prized in the European market for the softness and warmth of the wool, rich colors, and the intricacy of the weave and design. The shawls were hand-woven by men from fine 'pashm' wool, sheared from the downy underfur of a Himalayan mountain goat (Capra hircus) and brought into India from Tibet and Ladakh in summer.