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Namdha

Example of a felt namdha floor covering with chain stitch embroidery. Kashmir. Example of a felt namdha floor covering with chain stitch embroidery. Kashmir.

A namdha is a felt floor covering made of wool (or a mixture with another material, such as cotton, to produce a white background), primarily produced in Kashmir, in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent. The name was originally applied to felt mats with incorporated designs, but the term is now also used for coverings with chain stitched embroidery, worked with the ari hook.

The foliage designs that are embroidered or incorporated into the felt are characteristically of a curved and sinuous shape. Since the 1950's however, other designs were being introduced, including those of animals and birds.

See also gabha floor coverings.

Source: SWIFT, Gay (1984 ). The Batsford Encyclopaedia of Embroidery Techniques, London: Batsford, p. 140.

Digital source of illustration (retrieved 5 March 2017).

WV

Last modified on Sunday, 05 March 2017 11:45