GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION* (GI) DETAILS:
GI: Kashmir Pashmina
GI application no: 46
Type: Handicraft
State: Kashmir
Country: India
*Read below about what is GI
CRAFT:Pure Pashmina woven on a handloom**
Features diamond weave
5 days of weaving time
3-4 artisan process (shearing, cleaning, spinning and weaving)
**this raw material and craft is unique to Kashmir, and protected under GI
COMPOSITION:
100% pure Pashmina
Wool sourced from Pashmina goats found in Kashmir and Ladakh, India
Highly insulating, extremely lightweight (an 82"x28" pure pashmina stole weighs only 150gm), decadently soft and delicate
CARE:
If you must, wash your Pashmina delicately.
- Mix a mild shampoo in cold water in a bucket.
- Soak Pashmina it it and swish it around a few times. Do not rub, wring or twist.
- Throw out the soapy water and press Pashmina between your palms to get rid of soapy water. Fill bucket with clean water and soak Pashmina in it.
- Repeat step 3 until there is no more lather in the bucket.
- Dry flat.
- Must you iron it, cover it with a cotton bedsheet and iron on low heat.
My mother handed me down the prized Pashmina of my father, which he was gifted as the recipient of a national award in India. It is pure - all-natural, no dye - with delicate Kashmiri Kanni embroidery bordering it. It has been in my family for two decades and seen more of the sun than detergent, which might be the reason for its durability despite the delicate fiber.
*GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION (GI)
Kashmir is the northern most province of India and, along with Ladakh region, home to a special breed of goats, Pashmina. The long soft coat of these wide-horned woollies keeps them warm in the harsh Himalayan region where temperatures can drop down to -40 degree Celsius.
Each spring, each of the goats provide up to 8 ounces of Pashmina wool - a highly insulating natural fiber, that is decadently soft and lightweight. You might even know it by another name - Cashmere (try "Kashmir"). Each of the TAIC handloom Pashmina stole uses the wool of up to two Pashmina goats.
Once de-haired and spun into yarn, the Pashmina wool goes to master craftsmen of Kashmir, who skillfully weave textiles with a visibly unique texture.
It is not a surprise then, that among the registered GIs of India, Kashmir Pashmina is a proud recipient (application no 46).
GI is a protection given as part of TRIPS by Government of India to authenticate products that are uniquely found in a specific geography. In other words, a raw material, product or skill that is found only in one specific part of the world and is unique because of the local conditions - weather, history, etc. Such as champagne is from Champagne, France, Darjeeling tea is from Darjeeling, India, Scotch is from Scotland... and Pashmina from Kashmir, India.