Textile depicting Guru Nanak and his companions

This fringed textile, likely a cover for a holy book, is embroidered with the figure of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion. The guru is seated in the center under a tree with a halo around his head, holding prayer beads in his hand. He is accompanied by his musician companion Mardana, at the left, and his faithful disciple Bhai Bala, who holds a peacock-feather fly whisk as a respectful attendant. The square shape of this textile also corresponds to the square form of the gurdwara, the Sikh house of worship.

Embroidered textiles of this type, a rumal or coverlet, were used as ceremonial covers for gifts in many regions of India, but are most frequently associated with the region of Chamba (Punjab Hills region, Himachal Pradesh). These often illustrate Hindu subject matter, such as scenes from the life of Krishna.