Unknown Maker, Punjab

Worn by women during sacred rituals connected to childbirth, death, and marriage, phulkari are characterized by embroidered geometric patterns representing the natural world. When embroidery completely covers the cloth, as here, it is called bagh (garden). 

Thirma phulkaris were embroidered by Hindu and Sikh women using silk floss imported from Afghanistan, Bengal, and China. They applied this embellishment to a foundation of coarse, unbleached cotton (locally spun, woven, and dyed), which symbolized purity. Their craft was passed down over generations, with young girls beginning embroidering phulkaris for their dowries. In the political upheaval following the 1947 division of the Punjab region into India and Pakistan, phulkari traditions were largely discontinued.