Mirror work originated in 13th century Persia and was brought to India during the Mughal era by traders and travelers. It involves decorating fabric with small pieces of mirror or mica in various shapes and sizes using stitches. There are three main types: hand blown glass shisha, machine cut glass shisha, and shisha embroidery. In traditional Rajasthani clothing, mirror work embroidery is used to represent the landscapes of India and ward off evil spirits according to Islamic beliefs. Each Indian state has developed its own unique styles of mirror work featuring motifs, colors, and shapes inspired by nature.

1. MIRROR WORK OF RAJASTHAN

2. INTRODUCTION
 Mirror work is also known as shisha, is one of the most captivating
characteristics of traditional Indian handicrafts.
 An early form of mirror work was introduced to India during the reign
of the Mughal Empire.
 Small pieces of mirror of various shapes and sizes, including circular,
square, triangular and decoratively stitched into place on the base
fabric.
 In earlier times, mica, a type of sheet silicate mineral, was used in
mirror work instead of mirrors.
 There are three common types of embellishments used in mirror work.
1) Hand blown glass shisha
2) Machine cut glass shisha
3) Shisha embroidery.

3. HISTORY
 Mirror work, can be traced back to 13th century Persia.
 Tradesmen and travellers brought the handicraft to India in the same
century, during the Mughal era.
 Due to this, the use of mirrors and the crafts of mirror work stem from
traditional Islamic beliefs: the mirror help to trap or blind the evil eye,
reflecting bad luck and evil spirit away from the wearer.
 In Indian mirror work, the use of mirrors widely represents the
breathtaking landscapes and nature of India.
 Traditional Rajasthani clothes are adorned with mirror work
embroidery.

4. Motifs and colours
 Mirror work that hails from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Odisha,
each state produces mirror work with its own unique style.
 Mirror work is commonly heavily encrusted with white, red, orange,
saffron, green and blue stitches.
 Mirror embellishments are often found in a wide variety of shapes and
sizes and represent shapes found in nature, such as flower petals, leaves
and animals is still employed in today’s mirror work.
 These small piece of mirrors are stitched onto the base fabric by means
of a chain stitch or buttonhole stitch.
 The latter form of stitching is commonly used to embellish small, round
objects onto fabric.