Shisha Mirror Work Embroidery: History, Technique and How to Spot the Real Thing

Shisha is the embroidery technique that fixes small pieces of mirror to cloth using nothing but thread. No glue, no backing, no rivets. The mirror is trapped by a frame of stitches and then edged with decorative work, so that it catches light every time the wearer moves.

This guide covers where the craft comes from, what the word means, how a mirror is actually held in place, and how to tell real shisha from the printed and glued versions sold as "mirror work".

What does "shisha" mean?

The word means glass or mirror in Persian and Hindi, as the Royal School of Needlework catalogue notes. You will also see it called abhla bharat in Gujarat, and simply "mirror work" in English.

Where it comes from

Mirror embroidery belongs to the arid western belt of the subcontinent: Kutch and Saurashtra in Gujarat, western Rajasthan, and Sindh and Baluchistan across the border. Pastoral communities such as the Rabari, Ahir and Mutwa each developed their own mirror vocabulary, which is why a Rabari blouse and a Mutwa panel can look nothing alike despite using the same basic technique.

From mica to glass

The Victoria and Albert Museum suggests that the reflective pieces may originally have developed from naturally occurring mica, and notes that from the 19th century onwards specially made mirrored glass became widely available. The Royal School of Needlework adds that mica is still sometimes used today.

Traditional shisha glass was hand-made: blown, silvered on the inside, then broken and trimmed into small pieces. That is why old mirrors are slightly curved and irregular. Modern shisha uses flat, machine-cut mirrors in standard round, square, diamond and triangle shapes.

How a mirror is held with thread alone

1. The holding grid. Two parallel stitches are laid across the mirror, then two more at right angles, forming a square "cage" that pins the glass to the cloth.
2. The edging. A ring of looped stitches is worked around the mirror, catching both the grid and the fabric. This pulls the grid outwards, opens up the centre so more glass shows, and locks the mirror in.
3. The finish. Chain, herringbone or satin stitches are worked around the ring to build the surrounding motif.

The edging stitch varies by community and region, which is one of the ways collectors date and place old pieces.

Real shisha vs imitations

Caring for mirror work

• Hand wash cold, inside out. Do not wring.
• Iron on the reverse, over a towel, never directly on the mirrors.
• Dry flat, in shade.

Mirror work at Vee Threads

Our artisans in Bulandshahr set every mirror by hand, using the stitched cage and edge described above. See the mirror work shirts collection, or read our overview of the nine great hand embroidery traditions of India.

Sources

• Victoria and Albert Museum, Indian embroidery
• Royal School of Needlework, Collection object RSN.3005