PHULKARI OF PUNJAB

INTRODUCTION
 Phulkari means- Flower craft
 Bhag means – Garden
 The quality of the phulkari depends
upon the size of the stitch. The
smaller the stitch, the finer the
embroidery.
HISTORY
 Some scholars feel that the art of Phulkari
came from Iran where it is known as “Gulkari”.
 Some feel it came from Central Asia along with
Jat tribes who migrated to India and settled in
Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat.
 There is reference of Phulkari in Vedas,
Mahabharat, Guru Granth Sahib and folk songs
of Punjab. In its present form, phulkari
embroidery has been popular since the 15th
century
Place
 Phulkaries were found in west punjab
district.- Peshavar, Sialkot,Hazara
 East Punjab – Amritsar, Ambala,
Ludiyana.
Threads & Colours
 Untwisted Silk thread known as – pat
– brought from Kashmir, Russia,
Turkish,bengal, Afghanistian.
 Best quality thread was brought from
Chaina
 Main Colors- Crimson Red, Orange,
Green, GoldenYellow, white
 Other colours- Blue, Violet, Dark
Brown, various shades of Red.
Fabric & Stitches
 Done on home spun, hand woven, &
home dyed coarse cotton- known as
Khadder
 Stitches are – commonly used stitch
is -short darning .
 Other stitches are - herring bone,
cross stitch, button hole, double
running, some times satin.
MOTIFS
 Beginning with geometrical patterns, flowers
and leaves
 Birds, animals and human figures and objects
of everyday use were inducted, along with
vegetables, buildings, rivers, the sun and the
moon, scenes of village life, and other imagery.
METHOD

 For the embroidery, only a single strand was used

at a time, each part worked in one color.
 Shading and variation were not done by using
various colors of thread. Instead, the effect was
obtained by the dexterous use of horizontal, vertical
or diagonal stitches.
 This resulted in giving an illusion of more than one
shade when light fell on it and when it was viewed
from different angles.
 To keep the embroidered part clean while working
on the cloth, the finished portion was rolled and
covered with a muslin cloth.
Types of articles
 Shaloo
 Til patra
 Nilak
 Ghunghat bhag
 Chop & suber
 Darshandwar
Shaloo
 SHAWL meant for
daily use made in
red thick khadi.
Til patra

 Article which has

very little
embroidery
Nilak

 Navy blue or black

khadi embroidered
in yellow or
crimson
 Ghunghat bhag
 Ghunghat bagh or
sari-pallau
(covering for the
head) has a small
border on all four
sides. In the center
of each side, which
covers the head, a
large triangular motif
is worked.
Chop & suber
 The Chope, usually presented to
the bride by her grandmother
during a ceremony before the
wedding,
 is embroidered with straight, two-
sided line stitch and appears the
same on the reverse. It is usually
red in color and worn as a veil.
 Suber is a phulkari worn by a
bride during marriage rites. It
comprises five motifs, one in the
center and one each in the four
corners
Darshan dwar:
 This is usually used for
presentation in temples
or for adorning the
walls of home, when the
Granth Sahib is brought
therein. It is also done
on a red cloth with the
motifs of arched gates
facing design of
humans, animals, birds,
flowers etc
Pachranga phulkari shawl (detail)
Eastern Punjab, India
First half of 20th century
Three panels of embroidered khaddar
(coarse homespun cotton cloth)