Akhlinihanu

Akhlinihanu is an embroidered cover to keep a comb in.  A coveted asset, Akhlinihanu was not very common, and was only used by the women of a royal family.  Traditionally, the combs in Chitral would be made of shamshad (local) wood in the shape of a half moon.

Chabukpush

An embroidered long band (patti) is made to decorate the handle of the horsewhip (chaghiz) during a polo match.  The patti is wrapped around the handle of the chaghiz and sewn with silk thread, which is used so that the handle does not slip from the hand.

Chainakpush

To keep tea in a tea pot hot, Chitrali people prepare a half-oval shaped or half-round style of tea cozy embroidered with unique patterns.  Traditional chainakpush have been found amongst the royal families of Chitral.The cover for a knife (chaquhanu) was important for men to keep their knives safe.  Women would also keep small knives hanging from a silver chama which determined the social status of women.  Men would keep a knife in its cover in the pocket of a jacket attached to a broad thread.  Chaquhanu also had its own special embroidery design.

Har

In the old days, both the bride and the groom would be decorated with embroidered necklaces (har) of different geometrical shapes including triangles, squares and ovals.  They would be attached to two longer threads to tie around the neck.  The threads are decorated with embroidered flowers and leaves.

Jalpush

Jalpush is comparable to chalpush as the hair on the neck of a horse is called chal.  This was the way of decorating horses for special occasions such as wedding ceremonies by putting an embroidered cloth over the necks of the horses.

Karineyni

Small and beautifully embroidered earrings (karineyni) were common amongst Chitrali women as style fundamentals.

Khoi

There are two kinds of embroidered skull caps (khoi).  The first is called zrup khoi (fully embroidered cap), while the other is called phuri suyiro khoi (cap with embroidery on the corner).  In zrup khoi, both the phreshu (the band) and the top round cover (phlak) are fully embroidered with specific embroidery patterns and designs.  The zrup khoi are very expensive while the phuri soyiru khoi, in which the top round cloth is simple one without embroidery, is cheaper.  This distinction was also one of the ways of differentiating the social status of women and the importance of different occasions.

Miana or Batva

Traditionally men and women in Chitral would keep an embroidered purse or wallet (batva) with its own particular design.  But the tradition was popular mostly amongst men and women from higher status families.

Pazband

The pazband was also meant to decorate horses.  An embroidered triangle shape would be tightened around the chest of horse and used on special occasions.  This was of course a tradition amongst royal families and some of the courtiers as common people could not afford to keep horses.  Royal families would present gifts of decorated horses to local and foreign guests.

Quab Bazuri and Girvan

Embroidered ribbon at the corner of shirts and sleeves was common on women’s dress in the past, and this would have a particular design.  Such dresses were specially designed for the bridal dowry, but women from families of higher status groups would also use it in their everyday lives.

Radio and watch push

With the introduction of radio, cassette players and watches, people in Chitral started making covers for the new technologies.

Sandal push

Sandal push is a contemporary creation introduced by young women by adding embroidery to their sandals.

Shunjhanu

The needle was an important part of a woman’s possessions in the past as it was the needle which was used for embroidery.  The needle was kept in a delicate needle cover.  It consisted of a broader 6 inch long thread of silk on the one side of which would be needled with a broad cloth.  The needles would then be pricked into the thread and kept in a nalki made of wood or metal to keep the body safe from being pricked.  The nalki was then put into a beautifully embroidered cover to be hung on the round silver chama of women.

Surband

The word surband has come from sar band (head cover).  Embroidering surband (a band around the head) is a tough job.  It is like the band bound around the head of a bride groom, and is normally three to four inches in width.  On either end of the surband there are embroidered dori (lines), and small embroidered flowers.  The price of the surband is determined by the delicacy of the embroidery, width, duris and jalers.  A normal surband is prepared in a two month period, but is only used in a wedding to wrap around the head of the bride.  Under the veil, no one can see the bride but her beauty is determined by the width and delicacy of the surband.  The Surband also determines the status of a family.

Surmadani

Surmadani is a kind of makeup box for women, in which they keep surma, black eye kohl used specially by women for eye makeup.  Men also use it as a cure for eye diseases as it has known and proven medicinal value.  It is comprised of two covers.  The inner cover is called bokhchakai in which they keep the makeup needle and surma.  The outer cover is an embroidered bag (suyiru khaltha) in which the bokhchakai is kept.  The inner bag is delicately embroidered and wrapped by silk thread after putting the surma and needle in it.  The outer bag is more beautifully embroidered with round stitches on both sides which are then tied by two threads on each side.  The threads are tied with chama, a round metal tucked on the shirt of women, on which they also attach the keys of the house and various locked household boxes.  Though the surmadani is an important part of bridal costumes, every woman keeps a surmadani with her at all times.  With it, they not only take care of themselves but the entire family.  For surmadani, a special pattern of embroidery is used and it takes almost a week to make a surmadani.

Tawizpush

Making and using amulets (tawiz) was very common amongst the Chitrali’s especially to keep children safe from the evil eye.  The tawiz are revered in Chitral and are kept hidden wrapped around the upper arms under one’s clothing, or hanging around the neck of the wearer.  They were created by wrapping an embroidered cloth around the tawiz and attaching a silk thread to it from which it could hang around the neck, or be tied around the upper arm. 

Vaskat

An embroidered jacket called a vaskat is also an important part of the wedding attire of the bridegroom in Chitral; and counts as a rare gift given to the daughter of the village during her see-off (khodayar) visit of the village.  Various kinds of embroidery motifs are used on a red background, and the edge is decorated with hanging colored threads.

An embroidered zenpush was tied around the back of a horse.  It would enhance the beauty of the horse as well as the rider.  Using the zenpush was tradition only amongst the royal families and some of the courtiers.