PI: Adil Iqbal | Collaborators: Mansura Shams, Feroza Gulzar, and Arshad Irfan
Project ID: 2022LG02 | Location of Research: Chitral District, Pakistan
Host Institution: National Museums Scotland
This collection documents the endangered wool-working tradition of Shu making in Chitral, Northwest Pakistan. Shu is a handwoven woollen cloth central to local dress, trade, and identity.
The mountainous region of Chitral connects Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Xinjiang in Northwest China. A famous product, shu has been traded across borders, emphasising that what we often consider remote areas are distinct economic and cultural centres. The knowledge and skills of making this climate-adapted and windproof textile is a renowned heritage of the people of Chitral. Continued efforts to save this craft practice have to date been unsuccessful. The making of shu and the related knowledge, skills and social rituals are endangered not only due to changes in the climate but also an ageing population in the villages and the lack of interest in craft skills from younger generations.
The dataset follows the complete journey from raw fleece to finished cloth, situating each technical stage within the social, ecological, and cultural worlds that sustain it. It is intended as a long-term resource for researchers, educators, museum professionals, and community members interested in textile heritage, craft ecologies, and mountain lifeworlds in the Hindukush region. A short film, Shu Korik, compiles sound and imagery from the collection into a poetic reflection on the process.
Methodology
This project has generated over 21 hours of raw video footage, 400+ photographs, and 50+ audiovisual interviews. The dataset presents a detailed, process-based documentation of the endangered wool-working tradition of Shu making in Chitral, Northwest Pakistan. It captures the step-by-step transformation of raw fleece into handwoven wool fabric, alongside the social, ecological, and cultural contexts surrounding the craft.
The dataset is organised to reflect the full chronology of Shu production, with each asset labelled using a consistent identifier for clarity and accessibility. Core documentation begins with Grazing (G01), showing sheep breeds and grazing methods, followed by Washing (W02), which captures the cleansing of sheep in mountain streams. Shearing (S03) demonstrates traditional wool harvesting techniques, while Dyeing (D04) explores both natural and synthetic coloration methods. Pre-carding (P05), Carding (C06), and Teasing (T07) document stages of wool preparation, leading into Spinning (S08) with Spinning wheel. The weaving sequence continues with Warping (2022LG02-W09) and Weaving (W10), showcasing loom set-up and fabric construction. Felting (F11) records the distinctive use of Garam Chashma’s mineral hot springs, and Drying (D12) completes the process with sun-curing of the finished fabric.
To complement this technical chronology, the dataset includes supporting documentation: Tools (T13) highlights the implements used across all stages; Artisan Community (A14) presents profiles and socio-cultural backgrounds of participating makers; and Landscape (L15) captures the ecological and geographical setting of wool production. Shu (S16) contains footage and contextual information about the final woven fabric. Ethnographic and sensory materials are housed in Interviews (I17), Audio (2022LG02-A18), featuring oral narratives, Text (T19), field notes. Together, this comprehensive asset structure enables users to explore both the tangible practices and intangible heritage of Shu-making in depth.
Selected Assets
The following assets provide an overview of the project’s themes and documentation.
Tools
Two essential tools used in traditional spinning and weaving in Chitral. The Satur, the longer stick, is a critical component of the spinning wheel, used in the creation of warp threads. The smaller spools, known as Thasuruk, are used inside the shuttle during weaving to carry the weft thread. By Feroza Gulzar.
Landscape
The quiet descent of night over the mountains near Gohik village. By Feroza Gulzar.
Interviews
Rehman Nisa and Pinin Gul speak on the process and cultural memory of warping in traditional Shu weaving. They underscore how warping now faces erosion due to modern education and market pressures. By Ahsan Abdullah.
Grazing
Local breed sheep Kari with diverse wool colors—brown, white, and black—grazing on fresh green grass in a highland pasture in Royee village in Garam Chashma valley. By Feroza Gulzar.
Shearing
Shereen Khan uses a special type of metallic scissors known as seril, an essential tool in the shearing process that is designed to efficiently and safely cut the wool from the sheep. By Feroza Gulzar.
Pre-carding
Gulzareen works the wool into the soil during the final stage of the pre-carding process in Ghufti village. By Feroza Gulzar.
Teasing
A group of women from Royee village engaged in the traditional practice of wool teasing. By Feroza Gulzar.
Warping
The video shows the collaborative process of warping in Ghufti village. Gulzareen, Haji Gul, and Hajra work together, aligning and stretching the warp threads across a grassy field. By Feroza Gulzar.
Felting
Karim demonstrates the felting process in Garam Chashma, an essential step in transforming woven Shu cloth into its final dense, interlocked form. By Feroza Gulzar.
Artisan Community
Women from Royee village, Chitral take a break from teasing wool during a geeve gathering, sipping tea around a warm stove. Geeve gatherings are a communal tradition where women come together in winter to process wool for spinning, reinforcing bonds and preserving Shu knowledge. By Feroza Gulzar.
Shu
Rolled bolts of finished Shu, a traditional handwoven woollen cloth. By Feroza Gulzar.
Audio
Interview with Mulkhon in Royee village detailing the complete traditional process of Shu production from shearing and washing wool to dyeing, carding, spinning, and weaving. By Feroza Gulzar.
Washing
Sahib Jahan using the traditional method of washing sheep in Ghufti Village, located in the Chitral Valley of Pakistan. This process involves the use of fresh spring water from a local stream. By Feroza Gulzar.
Dyeing
Mulkhon, a resident of Royee village, carefully drying wool that has been naturally dyed using walnut husks. She sits in the sun, arranging the dyed wool in a pile, ensuring that each strand is evenly spread out to dry. By Feroza Gulzar.
Carding
Mulkhon plucks the string of a carding bow, holding it close to the wool to create vibrations to untwine and separate the woolen filaments. By Feroza Gulzar.
Spinning
The warp thread spinning setup used by Gulzareen from Ghufti village. By Feroza Gulzar.
Weaving
Ahmed Baig working diligently at his traditional wooden loom, surrounded by walnut-dyed threads. His hands are maneuvering the components, aligning the heddles and operating the loom to create intricate patterns. By Ahsan Abdullah.
Drying
Karim carefully spreads the brown Shu fabric over a network of branches, ensuring an even layout for optimal drying under the sun. By Feroza Gulzar.
Acknowledgements
The research would not have been possible without its team:
- Feroza Gulzar (videographer) — led visual documentation, backup, and file review; supported editing and post-production
- Arshad Irfan (research assistant / linguist / translator) — led transcription, translation, and annotation of Khowar and Urdu materials; liaised with local communities, facilitated interviews, and shaped field strategies
- Ahsan Abdullah (videographer) — led visual documentation, backup, and file review; supported editing and post-production for final fieldwork
- Mansura Shams (research assistant) — liaised with local communities, facilitated interviews
The project team extends its deepest gratitude to the Shu weavers, felters, dyers, spinners, shepherds, and traders in Garam Chashma valley and surrounding villages who generously shared their time, homes, and knowledge. Thanks are also owed to local community hosts, drivers, and fixers who made fieldwork possible.