DETAILS:

The Jasmine lumbar pillow is one of my favorites. The colors, patterns and fabrics make this decorative pillow truly unique and a one-of-a-kind home accent piece. Jasmine combines batik and ikat from Indonesia, hand embroidery from India, embroidery with mirror work from Pakistan, and vintage backstrap weaving from Guatemala. This unique throw pillow will be a delightful and intriguing addition to any room.

• 16” x 26”

• Front – cotton

• Back – linen, in beige

• Zipper closure

• Down feather insert

• Fabric origins: Indonesia, Pakistan, Guatemala, India

THE STORY:

The Jasmine pillow is a truly an amazing study of traditional textile techniques of batik, ikat, embroidery and surface design as well as a beautiful color palette. Delicate checker board batik on silk and the intricate ikat on the left side of the pillow are from Indonesia as is the bolder ikat on the far right. I was first introduced to ikat on a trip to Indonesia in 1992. I continue to be amazed by beautiful and complex patterns the weavers can achieve with this technique of wrapping warp threads before the dyeing process. The ikat fabric on the left in this pillow was woven by a group in Jepara, Java, called Syakila Collection. They are a producer member of Pekerti, the first fair trade organization in Indonesia who I have worked with for a long time.

The ikat right is fabric from the island of Samba, Indonesia, where the Sumbanese are masters of ikat design, dyeing and weaving. Their imagery is taken from the island’s belief system, natural surroundings, and daily life. The traditional red and brownish-purple colors have been used for centuries. The dye is made from the outer bark of the roots of the morinda tree, otherwise known as Indian Mulberry or Noni. It is a labor-intensive process to achieve these colors. I was introduced to the incredible ikat technique during my first trip to Indonesia in 1992, and to this day, ikat still remains one of my favorite textiles. Unfortunately, I did not travel to Sumba but was able to acquire several pieces of fabric.

I have always appreciated the incredible embroidery of Pakistan. I have tried several times to travel to visit the country but due to several reasons, including travel alerts by the U.S. government, it has been impossible for me to visit. Fortunately, through my work with the fair trade organization SERRV International, I was able to have embroidered fabrics sent to me. The piece in this pillow is an exceptional example. The Pakistan Phulkari embroidery technique you see in this piece is from the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent and literally means “flower work.” At one time, Phulkari was also the word for embroidery. This fabric features rich orange and purple tones with accents of green. The patterns alternate in color and design.

The narrow horizontal embroidered fabric in the center is from India and embroidered in a brown chevron design, with embroidered gold medallions and delicate shisha mirror work. The group who wove and embroidered this fabric is a fair trade women’s development organization known as Sasha and based in Kolkata, India. I have had the opportunity to visit Sasha several times. Their work is always beautifully done. Preserving traditional hand embroidery is of great importance to Sasha.

The next fabric is woven on a backstrap loom and has a dark brown background with rows of flowers, ducks, and other motifs woven with a supplementary weft technique. It is rich in earth tones and bright colors. The handwoven fabric is from a vintage huipil, the traditional dress worn by indigenous women in Chuarrancho, Guatemala. It is part of a collection of huipils and other fabrics I gathered during the seven years I lived in Guatemala.