Mid- 20th century

Woman's Wedding Tunic (Chola)

A Pakistani bride of the Hindu Lohana group would have worn this tunic with full trousers and a head-covering shawl. Part of the rich regional tradition of domestic embroidery made for personal or familial use, the tunic is almost completely covered with dense, geometric embroidery. The mirror work developed from the original practice of using natural mica from the desert; the specially made pieces of blown glass now used are not pierced, but are held securely in place by embroidery stitches.