Mirror work
Embroidery that holds small round mirrors on cloth with interlaced stitches, from Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Also: shisha, abhla bharat
In mirror work, called shisha in Hindi, small discs of glass or mirror are held on cloth by a frame of stitches that crosses over the edge of each disc. Once the glass is held, the embroiderer often works a ring of buttonhole or chain stitch around it. Older work used pieces of mica, and today most mirrors are cut from glass or made of plastic. The craft is linked with Kutch and Saurashtra in Gujarat, with Rajasthan, and with the Banjara and Rabari communities. It is seen on blouses, chaniya cholis, borders and some sarees, where it is used in small amounts.