The Flowering Desert: Textiles From Sindh: Second Edition

An updated edition of an essential resource on the textile crafts of Sindh.

The textile crafts of Sindh are amongst the oldest in South Asia. A kaleidoscope of color, mirrors, and embroidery, Sindhi textiles feature motifs of desert flowers, peacocks, scorpions, and sand dunes. The Flowering Desert explores the history, craftsmanship, styles, and stitches of textiles from Sindh in Pakistan, which, according to some scholars, was the crucible in which the textile traditions of Gujarat and Rajasthan were forged. It focuses on a spectacular private collection, parts of which have been exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London and the National Museums of Scotland. In addition to sumptuous photography of 120 remarkable objects—from tunics and turban sashes to dowry bags and animal adornments—the book includes essays on the history of the region, its ethnic groups, and their differing styles, as well as on the numerous stitches used in Sindhi embroidery. This is a revised second edition of the best-selling book which incorporates new and additional material as well as an expanded glossary, which will be of interest to both collectors and scholars.

Nasreen Askari is the founder-director of the Mohatta Palace Museum in Karachi and coauthor of Colours of the Indus and Tale of the Tile. Hasan Askari is a former trustee of the British Museum, London.