Vintage Tribal Boho Pattu Woollen Blanket

Description

This is a vintage, handwoven Pattu from the Himalayas, specifically, the Kulu Valley area. Pattu’s are the traditional dress of the area and are woven in family homes on back strap looms which produce narrow widths of fabric which are then stitched together to make the Pattu. The main body of the Pattu is woven from pure wool and the bright colours on the boarders of the Pattu’s are acrylic. I LOVE the bright colours of the acrylic, even though I would normally stay away from any synthetic materials. Before acrylic was invented the wool was naturally dyed and they are still famous for this in the Kinnour region of the Himalayas but I actually prefer the acrylic ones! The shawls have differing amounts of intricate woven detail on them depending on how many borders they have. The price varies accordingly.

These vintage textiles are made in village homes and are not cheap mass produced copies for the tourist industry. This kind of textile is getting rarer and rarer and they are not easy to find. In my opinion, people are starting to lose an understanding of what craft and heritage means as things get diluted by mass production and the internet. Handwoven Pattu’s can take several months to make and were not originally made to sell.

I sourced these Pattu’s through a personal connection. I work a lot of my time in India in Rajesthan and a few years ago, I went to the wedding of Kaushal, the receptionist of the hotel I have been staying at for years. His new wife, Kanika, is from the Kullu area and I asked her to ask her Mother, Sisters and Aunties if they had any Pattu’s stored in their homes that they wanted to sell and this is what I was able to source. I paid a very fair price for them through a personal connection and this is important to me.

These are big pieces of fabric. The exact dimensions of them all vary but approximately 2.8/ 3m by 1.5m. They can be worn as a big shawl and work brilliantly for a blanket or a throw on a sofa. If I go camping or to a festival or to some kind of ceremony I always have one with me. Please bear in mind, these are all vintage pieces but in good condition. Before I post any orders out I will check over them carefully for any age related marks, imperfections and check in with you before posting. I just don’t have time to do that right now. I want to keep all of these Pattu’s for myself! But I know that is greedy! and also ridiculous as I already have four and counting! They really are heirloom pieces looked after well, Amanda X