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TRADITIONAL TEXTILES OF SINDH

Textile Resource Centre IVS
15 min readDec 28, 2020

Compiled by Aisha Sarosh, Ammar Hasan, Areej Ansari and Aruba Rizvi.

Pakistan, officially known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a county located in South Asia which is the fifth-most populous country and has the world second-largest Muslim population. It is bordered by India to the East, Afghanistan to the west, Iran to the southwest and China to the Northeast. The country comprises four provinces: Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The culture and history of Pakistan dates back to centuries with its rich cultural heritage having its roots excavated from the Indus Valley Civilization. The richness of its identity has been an amalgamation of the practices that have been performed within the subcontinent as an entity yet traces of its influence are seen and observed in these heavily decorated treasures that are found within various regions of Pakistan. Being a central component of one of the renowned areas of expertise in terms of culture and ethnicity, each of it’s four provinces have their own distinctive aesthetics in terms of traditions and values which are largely inspired by their surroundings which adds a unique balance and highlights Pakistan on the world map in terms of cultural ethnicity.

Fig. 1 (Map of Pakistan) Source= http://surveyofpakistan.gov.pk

The province of Sindh is located in the southeast of the country, it is the home of the Sindhi people and serves as the second largest economy of Pakistan with Karachi as its capital. Sindh is one of the four provinces in Pakistan located at the Southern border. The province of Sindh has been named after the famous River Indus. In Sanskrit, the province was dubbed Sindhu meaning an ocean. Sindhi society is dominated by Sufism, legendary mystics and martyrs. It has always been the land filled with peace, love along with romance and has great cultural and artistic values. As the Sindh province mostly comprises of desert therefore the climate is very warm.

Fig. 2 (Map of Sindh)

The province of Sindh has many villages and cities among which Tharparkar and Cholistan are very well known, especially in terms of craft. Tharparkar also known as Thar, is the largest district in Sindh and has the largest Hindu population in Pakistan. To its east is the district of Rajasthan, to the south is the border of the Kutch district of Gujarat which is a western state of India and is highly diverse and extravagant. Umerkot district lies to its north while Badin and Mirpur Khas districts are to its west. Gujarati, Rajasthani and Sindhi culture together formulated Tinto one and is called Thari culture.

Fig. 3 (Map of Cholistan)

The Cholistan desert ( Rohi), which is a part of the greater Thar desert and mainly covers parts of southern Punjab and extends to the province of Sindh. The word Cholistan is derived from the Turkic word ‘chol’, which means “desert”. The people of Cholistan lead a semi-nomadic life, moving from one place to another in search of water and fodder for their animals. The dry bed of the Hakra River runs through the area, along which many settlements of the Indus Valley Civilization have been found.

Owing to one’s inherent desire to decorate, it is evident that the people from the region of Sindh were fond of decorating various elements of their lives. Color, motif and composition of a design signify an individual’s group identity and occupation along with social status. Art and artisans have been part of the Thari society since the Indus Valley Civilization. Common handicrafts made in this province mostly include rilli, pottery, puppet-making, carpet-making, traditional decoration, block printing, cobbling, and embroidery.

This blog presents in-depth information regarding the traditional embroidered pieces of textiles including:

  • ‘Bokhano’ (shoulder cloth)
  • ‘Gajj’ (bodice)
  • ‘Thalposh’ (coverlet)
  • ‘Gothro’(sack).

BOKHANO

Fig. 4(Bokhano)

Bokhano is a long narrow scarf (shoulder cloth) that is given by the groom’s future mother in law for his wedding day. They are basically cotton with silk embroidered consisting of patterns like stylized peacocks and floral motifs, this particular attire can be worn as a sash, scarf tied under the chin to keep the turban in place along with it can also be worn as around the neck with the ends falling at the back.

This particular piece of “bokhano” is embellished with peacocks along with emerging flowers and hills that are used to add up to its aesthetic value.

This particular piece of textile incorporates motifs that include:

Peacocks: By symbolism, are used as a metaphoric representation for a bridegroom who comes to claim his bride from her parents. The noble bird symbolizes the embodiment of good and is thereby portrayed as a symbol of goodness of wisdom, poetry and arts.

Fig. 5 (Peacock motif on the front of bokhano)

Peacocks were preferably used to embellish the wedding attires as a symbol of fertility and prosperity. The stylized form of peacocks are placed along the length of the groom’s bokhano, thus highlighting the “coming together of the newlyweds” and the sanctity of their “union”. Along with these figuratives, floral motifs are also used as an add on to the design aesthetics that in turn also has a symbolic connotation of fertility and prosperity for the bridal couple. The lower district of Sindh has been a prime sector for creating intricate geometric patterns for which this particular piece of bokhano has also been adorned by the addition of vibrant geometric designs, highlighted by the black soof embroidery.

This particular piece of bokhano possesses a wide range of soof embroidery, accompanied by button-hole, surface darning and feather stitch. The materials used for the embroidery consist of fabrics made up of threads of cotton.

Fig. 6 (Original peacock motif) Fig. 7 (Peacock motif on bokhano)

Details of the article

Fig. 8 (Kharek embroidery: back side of the bokhano)

The thread used for such kinds of articles include floss silk, accompanied by mirror work that completes the outlook of the entire piece, leaving the viewer in an awe. Some of the embroideries used for adornment include kacho or soof embroidery, which is probably the best kind of art amongst Gujrat’s long-standing tradition of embroidery of distinct styles relying on the counting of threads in the ground fabric. The artisan has to incorporate designs from the back side of the fabric, keeping the symmetry in mind for the overall design to be displayed. Patterns in bokhano, worked in the soof style usually have the ground fabric visible between the motifs and are constructed from fine geometric shape.

Apart from soof, kharek is yet another form of embroidery, practiced by the Sodha community and later by the Harijans. It is done with vibrant colors, filling the entire fabric and incorporating mirrors in them. Kharek embroidery’s prime method involves the usage of stark black hue as the outlining, in order to make the motifs visually stand out by highlighting them. Furthermore the process of kharek embroidery involves square patterns that are further on filled up with small pieces of mirror to give an overall embellished outlook.

GOTHRO, THE SINDHI SACK:

Fig.9(close up of the applique on gothro)

The textile article that this research revolves around is a cotton quilted dowry bag also known as ‘gothro’ in Sindhi language. The gothro is a traditional take on sacks which are used to carry materials and store elements in them. They are given to brides during their wedding hence referred to as dowry bags in which they carry and collect their belongings. These articles were usually made for the bride by her mother and grandmother. It is customary in the Sindhi community to give a number of handmade items to the groom before, during and after the wedding therefore it is the norm for the mother and grandmother to start embroidering such dowry pieces for the girl from the time she is born. The article consists of a rectangular bag that has an identical front and back and is decorated with hand embroidery. The central field is constructed of a bright fabric in stripes using applique and patchwork technique, with the details added by using pipings, embroidery and finishing. The bag is lined with cotton and is over all quilted.

Fig.10 (details of the gothro)

Technique:

Patchwork is a craft, practiced all around the globe. It is a technique which consists of sewing different piece of fabric together to form a larger piece or to add on to an already existing piece of fabric. Asia has been known throughout the world for its beautiful textiles. The traditional the term used for patchwork is rilli which is done throughout Pakistan but special in Sindh. Women make beautiful designs of rilli with different types of colors and clothes. It is an old tradition in the region perhaps dating back to the fourth millennium BC judging by similar patterns found on ancient pottery. The inspiration of rilli came from a simple act of faqeers (beggars) fixing their torn clothes by putting a patch of any other fabric that they could find. It is a great example of making the most out of what you have. This simple act inspired people to create a great craft as rilli. They can be used as bed sheets, covering for wooden bags, padding for workers and animals, storage bags, floor cover and in villages, it is an important part of girl’s dowry and owning many quilts is a measure of wealth. Rilli further has three types which consist of:

Fig. 11 (Patchwork)

Patchwork: it is a craft in which various pieces of fabrics, cut in different shape and sizes, are sewed by hand or machine, but mostly the process is done by using thread and needle.

Appliqué: in this craft shapes or intricate patterns are cut out of fabric and then sewed onto an already existing piece of fabric to enhance its beauty.

Fig. 12 (Applique)

Embroidered quilt: in this craft the embroidery stitches form patterns on solid colored fabric.

Quilting: It is the term given to the process of joining a minimum of three layers of fabric together either manually, by hand, using a needle and thread or mechanically with a sewing machine but mostly this craft is done manually in Sindh. An array of stitches is passed through all layers of the fabric to create a three dimensional padded surface. The three layers are typically referred to as the quilt top, batting or insulating material, middle layer and the backing, the last layer. The most common stitch used in this technique is the running stitch as it is the basic stitch and does not require a lot of time and therefore is very easy to apply.

Fig. 13 (Patchwork stitches seen from the backside)
Fig. 14 (Running stitches seen from the front)
Fig. 15 (Details of the stitches)

Details of the Gothro:

The bag is made from cotton and khaddar and has used both solid and printed clothes to break the monotony of the solid colored cloth. The colors used within are bright which reflect back to the Sindhi craft as they usually make and prefer bright colored garments inspired from their surroundings, for etc, the Sun.

The women of Kutch carry out embroidery on products that are used at home — wall hangings, quilts, wedding couture, skirts and blouses (ghagra choli), children’s clothes, shirts (kurtas), scarf and many more, it can be seen on mostly everything that belongs to the Kutch region. Some handmade pieces take the artisans months to complete as they also need to tend to household chores and farming. Soof embroidery, also known as surface darning stitch, is one of the many embroidery styles used in Kutch, it is done by the Sodha, Rajput and Meghwal communities of Kutch. The designs produced by them are largely geometric patterns developed using satin stitch as this embroidery is purely based on the warp and weft of the cloth and there for the artisan is required to have a keen eyesight, knowledge of mathematics and geometry are a must to produce Soof work hence the artisans do not require any drafting of the designs and rely solely on to their imagination and mathematical skills. The vibrant and bright colors used in this embroidery complement its style and have become an evident characteristic of this craft.

Fig. 16( embroidery on the front of gothro)

GAJJ

Fig.17 (Gajj)

This particular craft piece is a type of bodice attached to the rest of the garment worn by the women of Sindh. Bodice is a section that covers the chest and shoulders of the garment above the waist. Bodice in Sindh are beautifully embroidered with different stitches and ornamentation methods. They are called GIICH in Sindhi. It is said women feel pride in wearing a beautifully crafted GIICHI. In wedding wear they are called chola, and are crafted more finely with ‘heaped’ forms of double buttonhole, open and square chain stitches. The GIICHI is ornamented with a diligent grid that fills the entire chest portion. It is a linear arrangement inspired by peculiar jat embroidery style. (Jat embroidery which is also known as kutch embroidery, is a style composed with cretan stitch or herringbone. The base cloth filled with bright colors and various stitches imply Kutch embroidery). The Sun is displayed as a chief motif placed in rows of stylized flowers and alongside narrow borders of mirror work. This particular craft has a less dense embroidery than pakko style, ornamentation is a combination of square-chain, interlacing, buttonhole and couched stitches, using black, maroon, white and yellow ochre silk with cotton thread at certain places. The roundels are symmetrically crafted in laid and couched stitches that have rays emerging from the center. The edges of the GAJJ include a floral border, appliquéd and finished neatly.

Fig. 18 (Close up of the front view of Gajj)
Fig. 19 (Details of Gajj)

THALPOSH

Fig. 19 (Thalposh)

Details of the Thalposh:

A coverlet (thalposh), is mostly a dowry cloth, made by the bride’s family for her wedding. A coverlet is traditionally used to cover serving platters at ceremonial festivities or when sending food to neighbors or relatives. It comprises of exquisitely fine geometric embroidery incorporated with small mirrors along with floral motifs.

The embroideries from this region are mostly geometric and reflect the diverse influences that these areas have enjoyed. The stitches in the coverlet are extremely fine and the curvilinear outlines present in embroideries of other regions are replaced here by square and polygonal compositions. The stitches used in the coverlet are, the double button-hole, square chain, cross stitch, satin stitch, couching and hurmitch.

Fig. 21 (Close up of the embroidery)
Figure 23 (Back side of the Thalposh)

Base material and colors:

The material of the base fabric is handwoven khaddar which also makes it feasible for counted thread embroidery. The materials used for ornamentation are ‘kacha resham’ (floss), mirrors and tassels made from ‘kacha resham’(floss).

Fig. 23

The colors in the piece are red, purple, yellow and fuschia along with black and white are seen the most. The more barren and colorless the surrounding, the more the people use these colors. It is almost like a defence mechanism against the barren landscape of the desert. These colors are also reminiscent of the Sun and its significance in their lives.

Fig. 24

Embroideries

Fig. 25 (Thalposh)
Fig. 26 (Gajj)
Fig. 27 (Bokhano)

The above craft pieces include ‘pakko’, chain, button-hole and ladder stitch. The pakko stitch is the last layer of stitch, utilized to encompass the mirror. The most basic kind of line utilized for making ‘pakko’ is casually named as Reso by the vast majority of the embroiderers. It can be considered as a blend of buttonhole and chain stitch. The modern ‘pakko’ stitch includes formation of other shapes than circle for the enhancement of the mirror. The technique is almost the same as the traditional one, just the outcome varies. Chain stitch is one of the oldest forms of embroidery. This stitch together forms a pattern of loops or weaves creating chains in different ways. The buttonhole stitch (otherwise called button stitch) is a procedure utilized in weaving and for weaved trim. It is fundamentally the same as the sweeping line. It is called buttonhole join when the stitches are pressed intently together and the cover line when they are all the more uniformly scattered.

The double buttonhole stitch is an embroidery technique consisting of two rows of buttonhole stitches or blanket stitches. A row of stitches are worked leaving a space between each stitch and then the work is turned around 180 degrees and another row of stitches is worked, making sure that the stitches of the second row fit into the spaces left by the first.

Left Fig..28 (satin stitch) Right Fig.29 (cross stitch)
Left Fig..30 (square chain stitch) Right Fig.31 (hurmitch stitch)
Left Fig.32 (mirrors used in embroidery, button-hole stitch) Right Fig.33 (button hole stitch)

In sewing and embroidery, a satin stitch or damask stitch is a series of flat stitches that are used to completely cover a section of the background fabric.

Mirror work:

Mirror work is a craft that has been taking place in Sindh since its olden days and hence has great value and symbolism behind it. The embroidery that holds the mirror is known as pakko, driven from the term ‘pakka’ which means strong, as the embroidery is very strong and holds the weight of the mirror with a tight grip. The symbolism and purpose of the mirror used vary a lot. One of the oldest symbolisms for mirror work is that it reflects and throws back the evil eye and therefore the presence of mirrors in garments, caps, bags etc. can be seen throughout Sindhi craft, with the intentions to protect their loved ones from harm. Some people also believe it to be an adaptation of the Sun which represents life and power and the mirror reflects back when light is put on it. Another reason for mirror work specifically in Sindhi work is that because it reflects, lost things can be found easily as Sindh mostly comprises of deserts therefore with the help of reflection a thing from afar can also be seen.

FINISHINGS

POMPOMS ~TASSELS~COWRY SHELLS ~GLASS BEADS

Fig. 34 (Pompoms)
Fig. 35 (Cowry shells, pompoms)
Fig. 36 (glass beads and pompoms on bokhano)

The articles have different elements to finish it and to give an overall complete look, these elements are mirror work, cowry shell and pompoms.

Cowry shells:

cowry shells hold great importance in the subcontinent as they were used as a currency in the olden days and were also used in the barter system. Historically these shells were considered to be a sign of wealth, prestige and beauty and therefore these shells are seen being used throughout Pakistan.

Pompoms: pompoms are balls of yarn and thread used as an ornamentation. They are formed by twisting, tying and cutting yarn to form a fur ball type structure which are then added on to the garment or element. They are a very old way of adding color to the garment and can be made in any size but the shape is limited to a sphere.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

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Textile Resource Centre IVS

Written by Textile Resource Centre IVS

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