The Hands Behind Every Thread
The Ganaie Family — Master Kani Weavers
The Ganaie family has woven Kani shawls in Kanihama for four generations. Ustad Mohammad Yusuf Ganaie learned the talim — the coded notation system of Kani weaving — from his father, who learned it from his father before him. Today his sons weave at the same looms, carrying the same patterns forward.
A single Ganaie Kani shawl takes twelve to eighteen months to complete. The family refuses to simplify the patterns or reduce the thread count. The shawl will outlast all of us, Ustad Ganaie has said. There is no reason to make it less than perfect.
ITQĀSH works exclusively with the Ganaie family for all Kani-woven pieces. Every shawl in our Kani collection carries a certificate bearing the weaver's name.
The Mir Family — Master Sozni Embroiderers
The Mir family are master Sozni embroiderers based in the old city of Srinagar. Ustadji Abdul Rashid Mir spent forty years perfecting the art before passing it to his sons, who now lead the family workshop with the same unhurried precision.
The Mirs specialise in the most demanding form of Sozni work — the Jama, where embroidery covers every centimetre of the shawl, front and back, border and field. A single Jama shawl requires one embroiderer nine to twelve months of full-time work. No shortcuts. No reproductions.
ITQĀSH works with the Mir family for all Sozni embroidered pieces. Each piece is signed with the artisan's mark and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
“Mastery is not taught. It is inherited, practised, and passed on — stitch by stitch, thread by thread.”