Large embroidery, mirror work from Afghanistan 11.03.1199
Beautiful large Afghan embroidery with mirror work, nown as Shisha work. Shisha work is a type of applied decorative needlework that is characterised by small pieces of reflective material that are sewn onto a cloth ground material. This technique is also known as mirror embroidery. It is popular in many parts of Asia. The term derives from (Persian) shisheh for 'glass'.In earlier times, items such as coins, beetles, tin and silver were used as reflective embellishments in mirror work. Mica was then used as embellishments and was later replaced by the use of glass mirrors. The use of mirrors and the craft of mirror work stem from traditional Islamic beliefs: the mirrors help to trap or blind the evil eye, reflecting bad luck and evil spirits away from the wearer. By the late nineteenth-century shisha work of various types and styles was being produced in Afghanistan, China, Indonesia, India, Iran, as well as what was to become Pakistan.
