Kaani shawls are made using a very fine twill tapestry technique unique to the Kashmir Valley, with the pattern woven as part of the shawl. Having first gained prominence in the sixteenth century under the patronage of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, they have remained sought after items of the highest sophistication ever since. Beautiful designs, traditionally inspired by the natural world, come alive by a complex interplay of bobbins (traditionally known as kaani in Kashmiri) and the warp on a double-twilled loom. Each shawl can take months, if not years, to produce and can only be done by a small number of master weavers skilled in this ancient technique.