White blouse with colourful embroidery. The white fabric is machine-made, and the collar has been sewn open. Embroidered llamas and birds in two rows around cuffs and four rows around the head hole.

Huipil made from three rectangular pieces of fabric which are joined with purple looped stitching. The sides are sewn, with openings for the arms, and an opening for the head. The chest piece is embroidered with purple flower designs, and the body is embroidered with repeating zigzags and other geometric designs in sky blue and purple.

Short top with long green sleeves, partially lined interior with brown fabric. The chest and cuffs are heavily decorated with applique, embroidery, Government of Pakistan coins (some pounded), semi-translucent white buttons, metal decorations, and beading. Four red and yellow beaded tassels hang in front - two at centre, two on the jacket's left. Small rectangular piece of blue and floral fabric is inside the garment at centre. The back is a solid burgundy.

Navy blue cotton with linear embroidery and multicolour applique. Woven strap along top with string of red beads and an engraved coin-like bead. Appliqued section features embroidered band with alternating triangular design in centre, horizontal bands above and vertical sections on either end. Section of bottom features braided fringe and embroidered buttons attached to strings of beads with alternating coloured tassels.

Huipil, or woman’s shirt. Tunic is made from two long pieces of red wool fabric sewn together vertically, fully open at the sides, with a strip of black velvet at arms and around neck. Front of tunic falls longer than back. Exterior is heavily embroidered with many colours, showing geometric designs at shoulders and waist, interspersed with horizontal strips of fruit and foliage, and multicoloured birds.

Blouse with reverse appliqué panels (or mola). Torso is made of colourful pieces of fabric that have been cut into intricate linear and zigzag designs and delicately sewn onto a backing panel, creating geometric ‘X’ shape designs. Front and back are nearly identical. Black fabric in a herringbone weave makes up the short sleeves and neck, the openings edged in red and orange. Bottom hem is edged in blue.

Blouse with reverse appliqué panels (or mola). Colourful pieces of fabric have been cut into intricate linear designs and delicately sewn onto a backing panel, creating a large fish with dense fins top and bottom and a fluked tail, another similar fish caught in its mouth. These molas make up the front and back torso of the blouse, and are nearly identical. Synthetic light pink fabric scattered with purple and orange flowers has been made into short pleated sleeves and neck with black and yellow decoration on the cuffs. Bottom hem is pleated blue fabric with large pink and yellow flowers.

Blouse with reverse appliqué panels (or mola). Colourful pieces of fabric have been cut into intricate linear designs and delicately sewn onto a backing panel, creating four bird heads. These molas make up the front and back torso of the blouse, and are similar but not identical. Synthetic green fabric scattered with colourful flowers has been made into short pleated sleeves and neck with small mola panels around the cuffs, and bottom hem is pleated yellow cotton.

Blouse with reverse appliqué panels (or mola). A small sugar sack is used as the torso of the blouse, and has been decorated with geometric designs incorporating triangles, circles, and zigzag lines in yellow, orange, black and dark red. Molas on back and front are similar but not identical. The bag’s zipper remains, sitting on the left side of the torso. Synthetic fibre in a dense purple, pink and black flower pattern have been made into pleated sleeves and neck, and bottom hem of the shirt. Yellow piping surrounds cuffs and neck.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.