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Pashmina
Pashmina with Embellished Borders
Tilla work borders
Embroidery · Pashmina
Tilla
Tilla is the embroidery of celebration. Gold or silver thread — once real bullion, now fine metallic yarn — is laid on the surface of the shawl and couched down with silk, so that the motif catches light as the wearer moves. It is the traditional embellishment of the Kashmiri bridal pheran, and of the shawl given at a wedding.
The look of Tilla
Because the metallic thread sits on the surface rather than passing through the cloth, Tilla has a slight relief — the chinar leaf and the winding vine stand proud of the Pashmina. On ivory, camel or deep aubergine, a Tilla border frames the shawl with a quiet gleam rather than a shine.
For weddings and gifts
A Tilla-bordered Pashmina is the classic wedding gift in Kashmir and across India, and increasingly the shawl chosen for a bride's trousseau abroad. Our borders take two to three months; monograms and dates can be worked into the design.
Questions
What is Tilla work?
Tilla is Kashmiri embroidery in gold or silver metallic thread, couched onto the surface of the cloth with silk stitches. It is traditionally used on bridal wear and on Pashmina shawl borders.
Guide: Pashmina for weddings and gifting: choosing a shawl that will be kept →
Pieces in this design
Tilla, made by hand
Prices on request. Every piece can be commissioned in your own size and palette.
Bespoke
Tilla, to your own measure
Choose the size, the palette and the density of the work. Our naqash draws the design for your approval before a single knot is tied, a stitch made or a brush lifted.
