Square shawl in twill of silk warps, silk wefts (ground) and wool wefts (pattern). The selvedge is cotton with an attached silk fringe on all sides. The elaborate Indian-style border design echoes teh large scale repeat of a linked medallion in the centre field with a stylised floral background in buff yellow, bronze green, mid-blue, pink and cream.
This shawl was first through to have been woven in Norwich cicra 1830-1835 in imitation of earlier Afghan designs. However, further research shows that around 1813 there are are design structures in Afghan shawls that resemble this one and suggest it is of Eastern manufacture. Another interesting feature is the square where the hem and side border make a corner, a similar finish to that used on prayer mats. European shawls have this feature when the border is sewn on, usually as a turnover.
