Kashmiri Silk: A Lesser-Known Textile Tradition Beside Wool

Wool understandably dominates any conversation about Kashmiri textiles, but the valley has its own, less-discussed history with silk too — a tradition that's smaller in scale but genuinely distinct from the wool crafts most people associate with the region.

A Longstanding, Smaller Tradition

Sericulture (silk production) has existed in Kashmir for a considerable period, generally on a smaller scale than the region's wool industry, tied to specific areas suited to mulberry cultivation, since silkworms feed specifically on mulberry leaves.

Silk in Embroidery Thread

Beyond woven silk fabric, silk thread has traditionally been used in fine embroidery work across the region — valued for its sheen and strength compared to cotton thread, adding a different quality of finish to detailed hand-embroidered pieces.

Silk Carpets

As mentioned in the context of Kashmiri carpet weaving, silk carpets represent one of the finer, more labour-intensive applications of the region's silk tradition — generally more expensive and time-intensive to produce than wool carpets, given the finer thread involved.

Why Wool Still Dominates the Story

Kashmir's cold climate simply favours wool at a much larger practical scale — shawls, pherans, and rugs all lean on wool because it directly suits the valley's weather in a way silk, better suited to warmer climates and finer applications, doesn't match as naturally.

A Complementary Material, Not a Competing One

Silk in Kashmir has generally functioned as a complement to wool craft — thread for fine embroidery, an occasional carpet or textile — rather than building out into the kind of large-scale industry wool represents in shawls and pherans.

A Fuller Textile Picture

Understanding silk's smaller, more specialised place in Kashmiri textile tradition rounds out the picture — wool remains the dominant material for good climate-driven reasons, but it's not the entire story of what Kashmir has historically woven and worked with.