TAPESTRY FLOWERS
Early Masterpiece Shawls of Kashmir

Additionally another style of flowering plant drawing with characteristics of both the earlier types first appeared in the SFP. Unlike the sprigs more often seen in collections and other publications these examples are quite different. They are actually miniature versions of the LCP composite style and like them have more than one type of flower blooming on each plant. They are larger than the small flower style sprigs and have some of the other unique design characteristics of the Classic Period. This style will be discussed in the description of Plate Nine that is one of the only extant examples.

The next period, the Transitional Period (TP) (1800-1840), is also not so clearly demarcated and there are hazy areas at both ends when shawls belonging to the earlier SFP and the next or Commercial Period (CP) might well have been produced. One thing is sure, those made post 1840 and until the end virtual end of Kashmir Shawl production circa the mid-1880's demonstrate distinct designs and easily identified technical characteristics. This is not always the case for the Transitional Period examples, especially those for the first two decades circa 1800-1820.

The Transitional Period ushers in, for the first time, a decorative iconography of abstract floral forms rather than one centered on purely naturalistic representations. The most important aspect of this change was the debut of the paisley, a new innovative but non-traditional design. It is important to recognize this occurred circa 1790-1800 and quickly thereafter moved to take over center stage. The paisley was in all probabilities derived from the gracefully tilting archetype plant forms of the Classic Period combined with others unrelated to previous shawl design conventions. Also at this time the practice of filling the formerly large, open diaper area between the decorated end panels and the increased production of square shawls became commonplace rather than the anomalies they had previously been.

The shawls of the Commercial Period, 1840-1880, were in all respects very different from the earlier ones and are the least homogenous as a group. Their greatest virtue was the introduction of a number of radically different design styles, most of them still in tapestry-twill weaving technique. However these designs, like the quality of the materials they employed and the fineness of their technical characteristics, show a severe decline of quality and finesse as compared to pre-1840 examples. Two new aspects, both of which can be seen as directly contributory to this decline should be mentioned here.