To manufacture just one shawl, around 350 grams of wool/ fur is needed. Then, the J&K government announced a ban on the manufacture and trade of the Shahtoosh wool in the early 2000s. This is an antelope from Tibet. These factors made shahtoosh shawls very precious. However, the weaving of Shahtoosh shawls continues in secret in Kashmir due to high demand by western buyers. #qlwapp .qlwapp-box .qlwapp-user:before { Shahtoosh shawls are illegal in the United States.. Pashmina comes from Tibetan mountain goats. They are: The shahtoosh shawls are only handwoven by the master artisans of Kashmir. The antelopes are hunted for this purpose. He also has a Masters in International Business from the University of Bedfordshire to his credit. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. #qlwapp .qlwapp-toggle .qlwapp-text, And a few decades ago, people happily did so. It is believed that he had a great passion for these shawls and was the owner of quite a few of them. :root { Ask your question. Any person who infringes the law can be subjected to a hefty fine and may also be sentenced to several years in jail. Why is Shahtoosh Wool Banned? #qlwapp .qlwapp-toggle, The livelihood of thousands of families depended on the Shahtoosh wool trade in Kashmir. This shawl is super popular throughout the world for its warmth, comfort and softness. Log in. Answered Why shahtoosh wool is banned 1 See answer While a toosh shawl combined with pashmina costs less than a pure toosh shawl, it is still quite expensive. The UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) banned the trade of the Chiru wool products in 1975. Each of its fibres is only about 7 to 10 microns and it is considered to be one-sixth of that of a human hair. Although shahtoosh is banned under the agreement, illegal hunting and selling of shahtoosh remain a serious problem in Tibet. Mir Saeid is the Co-Founder of Kashmirica. But they are rather insignificant. It was once an object of desire for people across the globe. Around 20,000 Tibetan antelopes or Chirus needed to be killed every year for the production of the toosh shawls. People have claimed to be addicted to the impressive beauty that it has and have described it as ‘nothing else in the world’. As a result, their population declined significantly. Almost 15,000 people had been employed in the trade when the shahtoosh wool was legal. This is one of the major reasons that makes it expensive. However, the weaving of Shahtoosh shawls continues in secret in Kashmir due to high demand by wester… Each shahtoosh is painstakingly crafted, a process that can take years, and knowledge about how to work with the delicate, brittle wool is passed down through the generations. Shahtoosh shawls are so fine that a large shawl can be passed through a wedding ring, leading to them also being known as "ring shawls". The types are categorized by the fabric used. s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script', The Chiru population has now stabilized and is thought to be increasing. Ano ang Imahinasyong guhit na naghahati sa daigdig sa magkaibang araw? In fact, shawl factories flourished and became a major source of income in Kashmir during the Mughal rule. Chiru is a migratory animal that lives at super-high altitudes of about 5,000 meters and develops the ‘underfur’ in order to survive the extremely cold and harsh weather conditions. The type of wool known as shahtoosh is made from the Chiru. The price went almost double for buying a toosh shawl at places like the US and Europe. But despite the ban, the demand for the toosh shawls and scarves still remains high in various western countries. if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; Copyright © 2020 Multiply Media, LLC. Its natural colours were black, white and red. People began to use it simply in its natural colours. Shahtoosh or shahtush or simply toosh, is a type of luxury shawl made from the most expensive fabric in the world. It is also a metonym for a type of Kashmir shawl traditionally made of shahtoosh wool. When these shawls were legal, shahtoosh scarf price in India for an aeth dani (50% pashmina with 50% toosh)  or bah dani (25% pashmina with 75% toosh) began somewhere around 1 lakh and for a 100% toosh shawl, it went up to at least 2-3 lakh rupees! Know Everything About the Traditional Kashmiri Dress & Style, 16 Dani or Shurah Dani: This is the 100% pure toosh shawl; made only with the toosh fabric, 12 Dani or Bah Dani: This type comprises of 75% toosh mixed with 25% pashmina, 8 Dani or Aeth Dani: This type is a combination of 50% toosh and 50% pashmina. This post about Shahtoosh is purely for information purposes. After the fur is obtained, weavers in Kashmir make use of handlooms to weave the fabric. But making shahtoosh isn’t just about the money, Pragatheesh says. For manufacturing a shawl/ scarf, the process that goes behind it is quite labor-some and lengthy. All Rights Reserved. But, what is it that makes this shawl so exquisite? Does Jerry Seinfeld have Parkinson's disease? The Chiru became an endangered species. From around a million antelopes, the number came down to approx 75,000 by the end of the 20th century. The fabric is procured from the underfur of a species of an Antelope; locally called the ‘Chiru’. A shawl that is made using the shahtoosh fabric is a shahtoosh shawl. To own a shahtoosh scarf or shawl is to lighten your pockets by several thousand dollars! Under Emperor Akbar, the imperial wardrobe began to patronise Tus or Shahtoos on a large scale. The material on this site can not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior written permission of Multiply. As a result of the extensive process, it takes a weaver anywhere from a month to a year to craft a single toosh shawl. We are here to make your shopping experience pleasant. It is known to give its owner a taste and feel of royalty. It is so light that you can hardly feel anything around your shoulders. Members of this endangered species are trapped, killed, and skinned for their short, fine fleece. Why don't libraries smell like bookstores? {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? For decades, Kashmir has been the only place where this shawl is expertly manufactured. 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