Shisha Mirror Embroidery

Many years ago when I was but a teen in high school, I loved to hang out on the north side of Youngstown, Ohio. My grandmother lived there and not far from her house was Youngstown State University and all the cool shops that surround a college campus. My favorite shop carried all sorts of smoking accessories (head shop) along with imported  jewelry and clothing. I discovered the beauty of Indian shisha mirror embroidery there, embellishing tunics and purses.

Since then, I have remained a fan and have been fascinated by the embroidery and the little mirrors. According to the India-Crafts website, “The art of mirror work is supposed to have originated in Persia sometime around 13th century.” I hope this tradition continues and isn’t lost to modernity.

For me, some things never go out of style. I still love my purses and clothing with shisha mirror embroidery. But my favorite Indian embroidery is my purple bedspread. You may have spied it in the photo of the post about Mexican lacquer. I was lucky last year and spotted an ad on Craigslist for a garage sale of a couple moving and needing to liquidate their Indian import items. That’s where I snagged this gorgeous bedspread. Besides being a beautiful piece of art, this textile serves another purpose, when the sun pours in, the little mirrors reflect all over the ceiling making wonderful sparkles. So not only is my bedspread a handcrafted artistic expression and a means of warmth and comfort, it also provides a little magic. What more could you ask for?

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