Themes and Motifs of Pashmina Shawls

The making of Pashmina shawls is one of the most fascinating forms of craftsmanship in the world. Although a major part of the admiration and reverence that the artisans of Pashmina accessories received was due to the soft, light, and warm cashmere wool and the art of weaving it into exquisite and alluring products through a range of tedious processes, what transformed Pashmina into becoming a symbol of luxury and opulence to Royals around the world was the intricate and seemingly magical themes and motifs used when weaving these shawls. 

Although a number of motifs have been used when weaving these opulent and luxurious products, some of the most popular ones among them are mentioned below:

1. 1. Buti: It is a simple design of a single flower.
2. 2. Buta: It is the design of more than two flowers, generally bigger in size than Buti as well. 
3. 3. Buta-buti: It is also the design of flower heads that is bigger in size than a Buti and smaller than a Buta motif.
4. 4. Khat-rast: This one is a striped design that follows along the length of the shawl, at times including the Buti motif as well.
5. 5. Zanjeer: This motif is in the shape of a chain that encloses other motifs such as Paisley or the Buta.
6. 6. Ambi/Badam/Kairi: Shaped like almond with an inverted pointed extension on top, this Paisley motif is the most dominant motif used when weaving Pashmina shawls.
7. 7. Lahariya: This pattern is in the form of waves and resembles water.
8. 8. Shikargah: This design is used to denote scenes from the jungle, including men and animals alike. Shikargah also refers to hunting.
9. 9. Cypress: This motif is characterized by the depiction of a root structure to present a single stem, from which multitudes of flowers and leaves emerge.
10. 10. Bouquets: Lacking a root structure unlike cypress, this motif is denoted by the presence of a big flower in the center with clusters of smaller flowers surrounding it.
11. 11. Hashiya: This motif refers to a vertical woven border. 

The pashmina can be woven in a variety of ways and the style of the weave also determines the motifs, designs, and patterns that can be used while weaving these luxurious shawls.