Since the 11th century the sunflower and associated water-pot were used as a universal element of architectural decoration. Long before then it was a significant symbol and icon for all the various historic pan-Asian religions - Buddhist, Hindu and Jain. These are no doubt just two of the reasons for its appearance here.

The other flower is a crocus, which also plays a key role in shawl studies. There are actually two types of crocus, one that blooms in the early spring and the other in the autumn. The autumnal variety is the source of saffron, which was used as a spice, medicament and also a dyestuff, which might explain the source of this shawl's soft yellow ground color. That is if, in fact, this shawl was dyed with saffron and not another colorant.

Another might be related to the inherent medicinal properties of the crocus:
"The medicinal uses of saffron in the past included its general employment as an antidote against poisoning, a digestant, an aphrodisiac, a tonic, and as a specific for dysentery and measles. In accordance with the Doctrine of Signatures, its yellow color signified its natural ability to treat jaundice." (1)

Did the weavers or any of the former owners of this shawl understand these properties and believe picturing the crocus on this shawl could garner them as talismanic curatives? Was this one of the reasons certain flowers with medicinal properties were depicted on shawls? Did this fragment and others end up in the inner linings of Tipu's War Jacket for this reason?

Questions such as these or other more mundane ones, like what was original size and overall design layout of Plate One, will perhaps someday be answerable but for now must remain as curiosities.

1. from: http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?displayID=22