All three articles have been crafted in typical Afghani fashion designed for covering the entire figure conducive to Islamic culture as well to local climate. Unlike the Punjabi style of putting dupatta on the breast-part in Afghanistan dupatta is worn covering the head, the embroidered part forming a semi-circular ring around the head’s forepart. Except these patches of decorative laces salwar and dupatta consist broadly of plain cotton though silk-like fine, soft and lustrous. Extra toughened for strength, the decorative lace has been embroidered using mercerized cotton yarn mainly in deep red, green, blue, purple, pink and white, cross-stitches for embroidering patterns and forms of flowers, tree and triangles among others. A fine zari-lace has been added on both edges of this decorative lace for concealing the patch-joints and stitches used for joining the two.
The kurta is the most colourful and exquisitely worked component of the ensemble. As suggests the loom-brocaded sleeve-ends and the skirt’s hem-line the kurta seems to have been crafted from a pre-designed and accordingly woven suit-length. Practically the cotton length used for the salwar and dupatta and that for the kurta should be the same; however, that used in tailoring kurta, especially its upper part and strips on the waist added for adjusting the girth around the waist, appears to be finer and more soft, something like satin cotton. Besides a loose-fitted blouse part, a well toughened front with narrow round neck concealing the sensuous anatomy of the breast-part and a full-stretching back covering it up to the neck, the kurta has been conceived with long sleeves, a length reaching down the ankles and a wide flared skirt. The pleats with which the skirt’s flare has been manipulated have been neatly and elegantly gathered on the waist and jointed with the blouse.
The kurta’s sleeve-ends, hem-line of the skirt and the sides of the belly – about three-and-a-half inches wide, have been brocaded with brilliant zari, golden, red, purple and peacock blue, using an identical design-motif consisting of a range of colourful flowers bursting like lightening over a conventionalised flower-form with curled leaves on sides. A course of tiny tree motif s on the upper side separates it from the rest. Zari has been used also in designing the set of decorative patches added for beautifying and toughening its breast-part. Two triangular laces, and another, horizontal with three triangular loops suspending downwards, rendered completely with multi-coloured beads, and of course the stringing thread running across, have been used on shoulders’ joints and waist respectively, one adorning where the arms branch, and other, where the upper and lower segments join. The rest of the kurta, mainly its skirt, sleeves and back of the blouse, have been embroidered using acrylic wool-thread : red, green, yellow and blue, and a variety of patterns : squares, circles, flowers, leaves, waving lines …
This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.
The suit will fit UPTO the following sizes: 17.0" Shoulders36" BustSleeve Length 20.0"
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