Small red dress with embroidery. The dress has a v-neck with a loop closure, short sleeves and full skirt with side slits. A piece of dark blue cotton with a floral pattern is beneath the v-neck opening. Around the neck is a thick geometric border in with mirrors and metal sequins. The sleeves have bands of various widths with braid, rickrack and metal sequins. There are triangular gussets under the sleeves. The skirt has embroidered circles in orange, green and brown and edged with white on red ground. A purple silk overlay covers the red skirt. The bottom hem has yellow cotton crocheted trim worked in a scallop stitch. The inside is unlined. There is a white label inside the neck that says ‘Made in Afghanistan’.

A multicoloured woman’s tunic that is embellished with panels and bands of embroidery on both the front and the back, incorporating several styles of embroidery. On the front, there is a large embroidered panel from shoulder to hip, and the upper edge of this panel extends over the shoulders to form a narrow yoke on the back. The embroidery on this panel is so elaborately detailed and so densely worked that none of the background textile is visible, and this part of the tunic is very stiff. Design elements in this embroidered panel include circular motifs enclosed within squares, a border of stylized floral ornaments and many small mirrors. Below the densely embroidered panel on the front are three solid coloured horizontal bands of silk and cotton textile (orange and yellow; purple and green; bright pink and red), embellished with black embroidered edging and rickrack. The back of the tunic has a centre-back neckline slit (30 cm) with twisted fibre ties. Pouches made of yellow and black striped cotton textile and containing small amounts of dried plant material are sewn into the top of the neck edge on both sides of the neckline slit. Below the back shoulder yoke, a large panel of light purple cotton textile, embroidered with scattered, multicoloured medallions and bordered with a repeated triangular motif, extends to the hemline; a narrow horizontal band of machine printed red cotton textile separates the shoulder yoke from this panel. Narrow vertical strips of plain silk and cotton textile form side panels that connect the front to the back. The front of the tunic is slightly shorter than the back. Elbow-length, close-fitting sleeves are made of solid coloured bands of silk and cotton textile, embroidered with metal-wrapped thread and coloured sequins. All panels and bands are underlined with cotton textile (orange; purple; pink). A label made of off-white cotton textile, printed with a rubber stamp and handwritten with ball-point ink, is attached at the neck edge on the front with a loose running stitch.

A multicoloured woman’s tunic that is embellished with panels and bands of embroidery on both the front and the back, incorporating several styles of embroidery. On the front, there is a large embroidered panel from shoulder to hip, and the upper edge of this panel extends over the shoulders to form a narrow yoke on the back. The embroidery on this panel is so elaborately detailed and so densely worked that very little of the background textile (red-orange tie-dyed silk) is visible, and this part of the tunic is very stiff. Design elements in this embroidered panel include many small circular motifs arranged in vertical and horizontal stripes. Three very large circular motifs are at the bottom of the panel. Many small glass mirrors are part of the design. The neckline is squared and close fitting. Below the densely embroidered panel on the front are three solid coloured horizontal bands of silk and cotton textile (orange; light green; purple), embroidered with densely-stitched decorative medallions and bordered with diamond, square and circular motifs. The back of the tunic has a centre-back neckline slit (26.5 cm) with braided fibre ties. Pouches made of purple silk textile and containing small amounts of dried plant material are sewn into the top of the neck edge on both sides of the neckline slit. Below the back shoulder yoke is a large panel of yellow cotton textile, embroidered with multicoloured circular medallions that are enclosed within black triangular compartments, each bordered with small multicoloured triangles. Narrow vertical strips of silk textile (magenta; purple) edged with braid and rickrack form side panels that connect the front to the back. Elbow-length close fitting sleeves are made of solid coloured bands of cotton textile (orange; purple; rose), trimmed with embroidery, braid rickrack. All panels and bands are underlined with cotton textile. A label made of off-white cotton textile, printed with a rubber stamp and handwritten with ball-point ink, is attached at the neck edge on the front with a loose running stitch.

Woman’s tunic; the front is heavily embroidered with multi-coloured designs on red-orange tie-dyed silk, and the back is made of plain red cotton textile. There are floral designs, mirrors and small pompoms over the entire surface of the tunic front. A large diamond-shaped panel of off-white embroidery surrounds the placket opening at the centre front. The placket and a narrow stand-up collar are made of plain light green silk textile trimmed with machine stitching. The armholes are trimmed with silk fringe. At the hem is a border of embroidered flowers and mirrors, finished with a edging of filmy blue and white braid. The back of the tunic is made of plain red-orange cotton textile; a strip of red cotton (16 cm) is sewn at the hemline. The embroidery is underlined with red-orange cotton textile.

Lavishly embroidered over-doorway hanging with bold, multicoloured designs on a predominantly red background. The hanging consists of a long, narrow, horizontal, central panel to which are attached seven small, U-shaped “pennants” that are arranged side-by-side along the lower edge. The designs on the central panel are alternating flower and parrot motifs, worked in chain stitch; at the right-hand end of this panel, there is a narrow band of red cotton textile, embellished with interlacing stitch, that does not match the rest of the panel in design or colouration. The pennants are embroidered with floral motifs in chain stitch on red or black cotton textile; the designs on the pennants are very similar to one another, but differ in colouration. All edges are bound with three (sometimes four) strips of black, yellow, green and/or red cotton binding. Tassels made of bundles of cloth scraps are sewn at intervals along the top and side edges and at the bottom of each pennant. The various components of the hanging are underlined with scraps of printed cotton gauze. Loops of braided fibre are sewn on the top corners.

Large, flat, rectangular bag or dowry sack, constructed from two pieces of embroidered textile which are stitched together on three edges with blanket stitch; the fourth edge is roughly finished and left completely open. The bag is made of off-white cotton muslin and is lavishly decorated with bold, multicoloured embroideries on both sides. The two sides are very similar to each other but are not identical. The central motif on each side is a scene representing a tree of life; on one side this motif is surmounted by images of two women bearing water pots, while on the other side the tree of life is surrounded by images of peacocks. On both sides are representations of temples, door hangings and wall hangings. The central images are surrounded by square and round geometric designs embellished with mirrors. Borders on three sides of the central motif are embroidered with round geometric patterns and large mirrors on strips of black and red cotton muslin. The embroideries are underlined with a heavier off-white cotton textile which is pieced together.

A multicoloured woman’s tunic that is embellished with panels and bands of embroidery on both the front and the back, incorporating several styles of embroidery. The colours are muted. On the front, there is a large embroidered panel from shoulder to hip, and the upper edge of this panel extends over the shoulders to form a narrow yoke on the back. The embroidery on this panel is so elaborately detailed and so densely worked that none of the background textile is visible, and this part of the tunic is very stiff. Design elements in this embroidered panel include small circular and double-diamond motifs arranged in rectangular strips, embellished with very small mirrors. Below the densely embroidered panel on the front are three solid coloured horizontal bands of silk and cotton textile (light yellow-orange; light green; light orange), embroidered with triangular, diamond and floral motifs and bordered with braid and rickrack. The back of the tunic has a centre-back neckline slit (29 cm) with twisted fibre ties. Below the back shoulder yoke, a large panel of yellowish white cotton textile is divided into large rectangular compartments that are bordered with red triangular motifs. A narrow horizontal band of machine printed textile separates the shoulder yoke from this panel. Narrow vertical strips of plain cotton textile (light yellow; green; red), edged with braid, form side panels that connect the front to the back. There is a small pocket in the right-hand side seam. Elbow-length, close fitting sleeves are made of solid coloured bands of cotton textile (light yellow; light green; light red), trimmed with silk embroidery, braid and white rickrack. All panels and bands are underlined with cotton textile. A label made of off-white cotton textile, printed with a rubber stamp and handwritten with ball-point ink, is attached at the neck edge on the front with a loose running stitch.

Small, square, flat, envelope-style dowry bag or purse made by bringing three corners of a square together, using the fourth corner as a triangular flap. Heavily embroidered with square and X-shaped, brightly coloured geometric designs and round mirrors. Loosely twisted fibre cords (red, yellow and green; 52.5 cm in length) with a yellow pompom, are used to fasten the flap shut. The embroidery is underlined with red printed cotton textile.

Helmut-like hat, or cap, with a long flap in the back that covers the ears and back of the neck. It is made of a satin-weave fabric that is machine printed with multi-coloured designs of flowers, leaves and stems, and it is heavily ornamented with glass and plastic beads, metal zipper teeth, plastic buttons, cotton braid and silver-coloured ball chains. On the forehead are panels of curvilinear designs and borders of beading and metal applique. The crown consists of a circular panel of finely-worked silk embroidery on black cotton textile, topped with a beaded topknot and silver ornament. Completely lined with blue-gray cotton.

Rectangular, appliquéd wall hanging or canopy, featuring repeated motifs formed from pieces of grey, red, yellow and tan cotton textile which have been cut, the edges turned under and slip-stitched down onto an off-white cotton textile background. In the large central field, there are 28 identically shaped square motifs, measuring approximately 20 cm x 20 cm, with stylized floral centres, arranged in a multicoloured checkerboard pattern. Around the edges there is an appliquéd border of abstracted elephant motifs on all four sides, edged with two rows of red and grey sawtooth designs. Small loops of cotton string are spaced at the corners and at intervals along the edges.