Mask of Vaikuntha Vishnu, late 5th century. Learn more about 5th century masks
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Meaning “little dream,” it is a woven brocade, characterised by a dense and rich zari work on the surface that renders the underlying silk fabric almost invisible. The complex weave was popular in the Mughal era, at which time production was centred in present-day Gujarat and the city of Benaras (Varanasi). Benaras remains an important centre of kinkhwab-weaving today.