CHITRALI DOWRY BY SHERIE GUL

Sherie Gul 28, is a mother of 3 and a houswife. She works as an embroiderer at the Dolomuch centre and would like to see her 3 daughters educated and happily married.

Her panel illustrates the various dowry items that are given to a daugter at the time of marriage in Chitral, such as: Sewing machine; fridge/freezer; crockery; embrdoiered textiles etc. 

‘My illustration shows all the things I want to give to my daughters at the time of their wedding. I’ve thought much about my daughters and their wedding and all the dowry that my husband and I will need to give.  We have already started saving money.

I had a love marriage and my husband’s name is Noorsalaudin.  I met him when I was studying in upper Chitral. We were both studying together and decided to get engaged and then married two years after that.

During my wedding, I was satisfied with my dowry because my father gave me a lot like Charpoy, dining table, tea set embrdoeired bedsheets etc..

In traditional Chitrali culture, the bride’s family give a lot of the dowry items like: bedsheets; tea sets and embroided clothes to  the grooms family, especailly to his sisters, aunts and cousins.  A lot of my dowry was gifted to my in-laws and their extended family as per the tradition.

Most of my wedding shopping was done by myself and my brothers. In those days it was difficult to roam around in the bazaar, so I sat in a local hotel whilst my brothers did all the shopping. They then hired a local Jeep to carry everything from Chitral town to Dolomuch.’

Experience :

‘This expereince has given me the opportunity to interact creatively and show an important aspect of the Chitrali culture on Harris Tweed.  My piece will be exhibited internationally and I’m really excited about that!’