DETAILS:

The focal point in the one-of-a-kind Shisheh Bharat lumbar pillow is the beautiful Shisha mirror work, featuring colorful threads exquisitely embroidered around each of the small mirrors in a delicate fashion. Above and below the Shisha is vintage huipil open-weave and leno cotton fabric from Guatemala. The bold contemporary and colorful square jaspe (Ikat) on black cotton is also from Guatemala. Complementing the bold Guatemalan fabric is a black, orange and beige ikat from the island of Sumba in Indonesia, one of the first fabrics I purchased in the early 1990s. This unique throw pillow will bring a spark of glitter and boldness to any room where it is placed.

• 15.5” x 23”

• Front – cotton

• Back – linen, in black

• Zipper closure

• Polyester insert

• Fabric origins: Guatemala, Indonesia, India

THE STORY:

These four very unique fabrics make this a strikingly beautiful lumbar pillow. The focal point in the Shisheh Bharat lumbar pillow, however, is the beautiful Shisha mirror work with colorful threads exquisitely embroidered around each of the small mirrors in a delicate fashion. It is said that a shisha textile can protect one from the evil eye and that the many mirrors will confuse and capture bad vibes. Shisha origins are in India in the 17^th century. The mirrors are attached to the fabric by an amazing framework of stitches that overlays the mirror. The shisha in this pillow has beautiful tones of orange, red, gold, and yellow thread. An exquisite piece, indeed. Above and below the Shisha is vintage huipil open-weave and leno cotton fabric from Guatemala.

On the left 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 which to this day still remains one of my favorite textiles. Unfortunately, I did not travel to Sumba but was able to acquire several pieces of fabric.

A very contemporary bold jaspe fabric is on the right. During the seven years I lived in Guatemala, I developed a great appreciation for jaspe, the traditional technique for creating patterns in Guatemalan fabrics. It is known as “ikat” in other parts of the world. This fabric is from the area of Totonicipan, located in the Highlands of Guatemala. Driving through the Highlands, it was common to see men along the roadside laying out hundreds of yards of warp stretched on poles and binding threads in a resist-dye technique to create a pattern. Usually, patterns are quite complicated, but the jaspe in this pillow is more simplistic in design but bold in its use of color blocks.