Banjara Tribal Mirror Textile - Vintage Shisha Mirror Belt Base
Vintage shisha mirror textile piece from the Banjara people of India. A colorful piece with lots of mirrors and mostly blue embroidery. There are many different designs for these, but all are made by hand, with mirrors secured to the fabric by embroidery stitches. Embroidery in blue and other colors covers most of the remaining fabric.
These beautiful pieces are colorful and fun! Originally worn draped over the head, they are generally much shorter than an actual belt would be. The mirrors on this piece are in good condition, no breaks, cracks or wearing of the silver backing. These mirrors are sometimes call shisha mirrors and Banjara work is almost always hand stitched - either embroidery, or sometimes what looks like very fine crochet stitches. These pieces can be used to embellish a longer piece by attaching it to another base to make a belt. Or use for another purpose entirely!
The pieces I receive from India have usually been cleaned and checked for flaws before reaching me, but vintage mirror work can be faded, frayed and sometimes a bit dirty from repeated tribal use. Older mirrors may be scratched, cracked, or the reflective backing may be wearing off in places or perhaps almost entirely gone. Each piece will vary in condition.
Item No. TML0073
Length: 26 inches
Width: 3 inches
Fabric Color: May be a reddish color, but this piece is entirely covered in embroidery
Embroidery Colors: Blue with a bit of orange, red and green. The edges are multi-colored
Materials: Fabric, glass mirrors, embroidery thread
Condition of Mirrors: No missing or cracked mirrors
Additional Info: Measurements may vary in places due to the handmade nature of this piece.
Country of Origin: India
Condition: Vintage
I RECOMMEND PRIORITY MAIL SHIPPING FOR VINTAGE MIRRORWORK PIECES to minimize time in transit.
Please check photos carefully for condition. You will receive the exact piece(s) shown in the photos on this page. This is a USED piece that has previously been used as or adorned tribal clothing, accessories, household goods, animal trappings or other items. There may be small flaws such as frayed edges, fading, or wear, it may have raw edges or other flaws from repeated tribal use. Older mirrors may be scratched, cracked, or the reflective backing may be wearing off in places or perhaps almost entirely gone. Vintage hand made mirror pieces do not conform to exact measurements. Variance in length / width is to be expected.
A NOTE ON THE CONDITION OF TRIBAL ITEMS: Our tribal textile items are used tribal pieces from faraway lands. As used pieces our items may be frayed, faded or otherwise reflect their prior lives as treasured tribal pieces. Please know that we strive to maintain the tribal allure of our items and therefore we do not clean or repair these pieces in any way. This not only maintains the old, tribal look of each piece that our belly dance customers seek, but also preserves the value of a piece that the cleaning process may diminish.
We do our best to describe any flaws that may be present, and we encourage you to read the full description and look at all photos closely to judge the condition of the item for yourself and know exactly what you are ordering. If you have questions about the condition of any item, please ask!
