Coming from the land of colour and adornment, this beautiful and rare textile is an antique sacred cow blanket from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, India. It was once used to decorate the holy cows during special occasions such as weddings and festivals. The triangle at the top would've sat on the cows hump (triangle is hollow underneath to cover the hump). The modern cow blankets are no way near as beautiful and intricate as these vintage ones.
This handmade piece is adorned with symbolic images of birds and medallions, which are a traditional folk art icon representing creation; flowers offer blessings in fertility and the shisha embroidery around the small round mirrors signify good fortune and in just the right light will gleam, like sunlight on a pond. Transform any room with the royal grandeur of Indian culture.
This rare and unique piece is in fantastic vintage condition but may have age related marks on it.
If you don't have a cow to adorn, this piece looks beautiful on the wall or used as a throw and is guaranteed to catch the eye of anyone who walks into the room.
Bring a bit of western rural India into your home with this beautiful bohemian cow blanket with an incredible amount of history behind it!
Size: 61” x 54”
*All orders come with a free pack of Nag Champa incense and includes free 2nd class postage to anywhere in the UK.*
*ALL INTERNATIONAL ORDERS SENT TRACKED AND SIGNED*
For millenniums, India has produced sophisticated textiles and with its’ location on the Silk Route they have been traded throughout the world. In India, textiles are to be found everywhere. They were made for the family to wear, for adorning animals and homes, for religious ceremonies, festivals, births and dowries. These embroideries were a significant part of the traditional way of Indian culture. Two of the most sacred old texts of India, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata, speak to how these textiles were used over four thousand years ago.
The most commonly used background fabric is woven cotton with embroidery thread of cotton, silk, wool, silver and gold. The present day Indian states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh, which are particularly arid, desert regions, make some of the finest and brightest needlework textiles in the world. It is said: The harsher the environment, the harder the life, the brighter the color, the greater and more intricate the craft. The women of the State of Gujarat, particularly, are known for their prolific and exquisite embroideries. The finer the embroideries the higher the status of the woman in her husband’s family.
Please Note these items are hand crafted vintage items.
-No two items are identical
-Coins and engravings are not perfect or symmetrical
-Dents, scratches and missing links, stones or coins may occur
These are not faults or imperfections, they tell the story of the history and traditions in which they originate from, and should be embraced.