Man’s shoulder bag. Sahria. Made of a rectangular panel of cloth with bands of continuous supplementary weft, the panel folded to make the bag, with a strip of cloth folded over and sewn onto the sides, forming a loop shoulder strap.The main panel design in supplementary red, yellow, and white cotton on a black cloth, the red and yellow forming rows of lozenges with stripes in between. The loop strap also in supplementary red, yellow and white cotton on a black and red cloth with similar lozenge-rows design on the bag sides and black, red, yellow and white stripes on the loop, with small rows of lozenges outlined in black thread. A paper label folded over the strap loop, and sewn, handwritten with: `LAKHER HAND WOVEN BAG. USED MOSTLY BY MEN’.
Lakher is the name given to the people by outsiders: they are known to themselves as the Mara (see N.E.Parry 1932 The Lakhers London: Macmillan). This collection associated with the Lakher Pioneer Mission set up by Rev R.A. Lorrain with his wife Maud in 1907. The mission was supported by Lorrain’s home church in Penge. The mission is now the Mara Independent Evangelical Church
