Balochi needlework (also known as Balochi embroidery) is a type of handicraft made by the

Baloch people The Baloch or Baluch ( bal, بلۏچ, Balòc) are an Iranian people who live mainly in the Balochistan region, located at the southeasternmost edge of the Iranian plateau, encompassing the countries of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. There ...

. It is considered a heritage art, has been recognized by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...

, and it sells internationally.

History

The Baloch people are from the Pakistani province of

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastl ...

; the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan; and the southern areas of Afghanistan, including

Nimruz Nimruz or Nimroz ( Dari: ; Balochi: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southwestern part of the country. It lies to the east of the Sistan and Baluchestan Province of Iran and north of Balochistan, Pakistan, also bord ...

Helmand Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...

and

Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the ca ...

provinces. The exact history of Balochi needlework is unknown, but one theory is it was brought from the migration of the Slavs to

approximately 200 years before the founding of Islam, their traditional embroidery is called

Rushnyk A rushnyk or rushnik (russian: рушник, ручник, uk, рушник, be, ручнік, ručnik, rue, ручник) is a decorative and ritual cloth. Made of linen or cotton it usually represents woven or embroidered designs, symbols a ...

and contains many similarities. Another theory is the craft had developed alongside the silk production industry. Different regions of Balochi tribes have their own distinct needlework designs. This craft has traditionally been created only by women, and has been passed down through the generations. The stitching designs and patterning hold meaning; common motifs include arrows, "chicken feet", diamonds, and flowers. Some of the designs may also incorporate other materials such as small pieces of mirror (known as shisha), different colors of thread, and/or pieces of colored fabric. The needlework was traditionally used for decorating women's clothing, however it has also been used for decorating pillows, curtains, tablecloths, and men's clothing. In 2015, the majority of the sales of Balochi needlepoint clothing happened in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Notable Balochi needlework artisans include Mahtab Norouzi. Farah Diba Pahlavi, the former

Shahbanu Shahbanu ( fa, شهبانو, ''Šahbānū'' lit. "Lady King") was the title for empress consort in Persian and other Iranian languages. The two Sassanian empresses regnant, Boran and Azarmidokht, c. 630, were the last two that carried the ti ...

of Iran, was particularly interested in the Balochi needlework handcrafts and had used it in many of her formal dresses. It has been speculated that Mahtab Nowroozi may have embroidered the Pahlavi dresses. File:نمونه سوزندوزی لباس زنان بلوچ.jpg File:کوسن بلوچی دوزی.png File:کروات های سوزن ووزی بلوچی.png File:سوزندوزی پرکار بلوچی.jpg File:سوزن دوزی زنان بلوچستان.png File:Empress Farah.jpg

References

{{Authority control Baloch culture Embroidery Pakistani handicrafts Persian handicrafts Needlework Textile arts of Iran Textile arts of Pakistan

History

See also

References