ਫੁਲਕਾਰੀ (Phulkari)
Phulkari — literally 'flower work' — is a counted thread embroidery tradition from Punjab worked predominantly on khaddar (coarse handspun cotton cloth) using silk floss in a darn stitch from the reverse of the fabric. The stitch, worked on the wrong side, creates a jewel-like geometric pattern on the right. When the silk entirely covers the ground cloth, the piece is called a bagh (garden). Historically made by women within families for weddings, births, and funerals, Phulkari was never a commercial craft — it was domestic, intimate, and transmitted mother to daughter. The authentic hand-embroidered tradition on genuine khaddar with hand-dyed silk floss is critically endangered; commercial machine versions are widely available but bear no relation to the original.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Not Listed
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