All Asyute were made using exactly the same method, there are no technical or structural variables and other then color, design and fineness nothing differentiates one from any other. As previously mentioned a thin, narrow silver-washed strip of metal-foil is threaded with a squat double-eyed needle into and out of a previously woven netted ground cloth. This is done several times to make each complete stitch. The foil is then bent back and forth several times to break it off to begin the next. Each stitch is an individual unit of design, the overall pattern formed by the combination of these units just like a mosaic.

As Plate One convincingly proves this technique has a long history of use in Egypt but since this reference is the only one available for comparison the origin of the Asyute shawl tradition still remains unknown.

That said the existence of this long history greatly increases the possibility metal-foil decorated long wide wraps similar to Asyute also existed prior to the 19th century. Plate Two's unusual and rather archaic pattern, extremely fine net and smooth tight surface intimate it may be a candidate. And while these criteria are subjective and not positive, this shawl appears to be made at an earlier time period than the others shown here.

So far it is the lone survivor but chance and probability strongly suggest others like it will eventually turn up. But even if none ever do, Plate Two demonstrates Asyute shawls were likely produced on much smaller scale for local consumption well before the export demands changed what evidently was a small highly specialized tradition into an industry.