Swat Embroidered Square

The embroidery produced in the northern Pakistan area of the Swat valley is similar to the phulkari of Hazara and the Punjab- long stitches of floss silk create shiny reflective surfaces. However, there are some differences: the Punjabi phulkaris are embroidered on reddish brown cotton, their embroidery threads are mostly gold, yellow and white and their design less complex, while the Swatti ones are on black ground, with mostly pink and red silk threads and their design is more complex and rich with tribal motifs. That swat region embroidery is also done on other articles the beside shawls, such as dresses and wall hangings like this example.

This piece is densely embroidered with tribal motifs in an almost neon polychromatic silk floss.