Hunza valley embroidery
Two-Tone Brown Cushion Cover with Mirrored Foliate Scrolls
Cushions
Rendered almost entirely in two tones of brown and tan, large mirrored foliate and leaf-like forms unfurl across the field with fine scrolling tendrils and small floral sprigs. The bold, symmetrical vegetal scrolls recall the floral and leaf motifs of Hunza silk embroidery, here worked in dramatic monochrome. Executed in the manner of silk needlework on a woven ground, its understated two-tone palette brings a sculptural, organic elegance to a room.
The tradition
Hunza valley embroidery
Embroidery is the secret weapon behind Hunza Carpet, and the cushion covers are where it is most intimate. The tradition grows out of the pillbox caps that Hunza women embroidered for their own use, worked with Chinese silk that arrived over the passes on Silk Route caravans.
Today educated women artisans embroider cushion covers with the same fine silk-thread stitches, reviving old cap-and-veil designs alongside new compositions for the home.
Motifs & meaning
Reading the design
Cushion designs draw directly on the names and meanings recorded in Hunza's embroidery tradition.
Turangkish
Ibex horns — the emblem of the Karakoram's wild goat.
Tamuts
The snow leopard, elusive guardian of the high mountains.
Urki itsu
A wolf's foot, a protective tracking motif.
Kishtimuts
A boat, recalling travel and the crossing of waters.
Materials & technique
How it is made
Hand-embroidered in real silk thread using Hunza's traditional stitches — erāghi cross and roll stitch, qalmi long-and-short floral work — on a woven ground.
Interested in two-tone brown cushion cover with mirrored foliate scrolls?
Leave your email or WhatsApp and we'll share current availability, pricing and condition.