ज़रदोज़ी (Zardozi)
Zardozi is a raised metallic embroidery technique using gold and silver wire, threads, and decorative elements to build dense, sculptural surface enrichment on silk and velvet. Of Persian and Central Asian origin, it reached its peak sophistication in Mughal India where it adorned court robes, elephant trappings, and tent hangings. Contemporary Zardozi is centered in Lucknow and Delhi. The most intricate forms — involving raised padding, wire coiling, and sequin laying at high density — are critically endangered as master craftsmen die without successors, displaced by machine embroidery in the fast-fashion supply chain.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Not Listed
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