Unknown Maker, Chinese

Embroidery stitches sometimes provide hints about where a Parsi garment was produced. This tunic and border feature tuan chen, or knot stitch, a specialty of workshops in China. Chinese embroiderers were also famous for satin stitching so fine that it was impossible to tell the difference between the front and back of an embroidered piece. Embroidery produced in India reveals more variety, using popular and more economical techniques, including top-facing satin stitch, chain stitch, and cross stitch. 

Kor ni sarees have a plain body and an embroidered border (kor). These became the more common and affordable alternative to the classic akha garas, which were embroidered all over. Borders were sometimes embroidered directly onto the saree fabric, or more likely—as in this example—they were made as separate pieces to be stitched on later. This way, if the body of a saree was stained or damaged, the border could easily be removed and transferred onto a different plain textile, creating a new saree. 

This blouse’s embroidery, depicting songbirds amid vines blossoming with delicate flowers, catered to the tastes of the wealthy Parsi community living in India. Known in India as Parsis, Zoroastrian exiles fled their Persian persecutors in the 8th century, settling in the Gujarat state of West Central India. They ultimately made fortunes as merchant intermediaries on the trade routes between China and Europe. Their mercantile exchanges brought to the Indian market Chinese silk satins and unique embroidered pieces, such as this one, that showed the combined influence of Persian, Chinese, and Indian design elements.