An incredibly soft shawl offering extraordinary warmth and luxury. Naturally dyed with madder, marigold and indigo this, one of a kind piece, is an elegant heirloom that you will cherish over and over again. The Changthang Plateau, located in Ladakh, India, is a striking high-altitude expanse that stretches into northern Tibet. Renowned for its breathtaking scenery, stunning mountain ranges and extreme climate, this semi-arid plateau sits at an average elevation of about 4,500 meters (14,800 feet).It is from this landscape that you find the finest pashmina in the world. Pashmina goats from Ladakh are raised in natural open areas on one of the highest pastures on the planet. Herded for generations, along with yak and sheep, by the Changpa nomadic families who inhabit the plateau. It is the region's harsh climate, high altitude and cold temperatures dropping to -40 degrees celsius that contribute to the ultra fine fibres in the goats wool.Ladakh pashmina is rare and sought after constituting less than 2% of global pashmina production. It takes the entire annual growth of three pashmina goats to make just one shawl. The fibres naturally moult in the arrival of Spring and the goats are combed to gather the pashmina. This fine fibre is handspun, handwoven and naturally dyed by the skilled artisans of Lena Ladakh, a slow textile label where each stage of production is carried by hand. Artisans use the traditional whorl and whorl-less spindles to work with these fibres. The women spin 25-35g of these fine fibres in one day. Half of these single plied spun yarns are then hand twisted into double plies for their warps. The skeins are then naturally dyed before being woven on a flying shuttle loom. Fibre: 100% Pashmina Wool Process: Handspun & handwoven by skilled artisans of Lena Ladakh Size is approx. 20" x 77" Care Instructions: Hand wash in cool water. To protect the natural dyes and natural fibres you absolutely must use a pH neutral liquid detergent. Roll in a towel to remove excess water and hang to dry. Recommended detergents: Ecos, Eucalan, or a mild liquid detergent no higher than pH 7.
