A Kani shawl is a type of Kashmir shawl originating from the Kanihama area of Kashmir. It is one of the oldest handicraft of Kashmir. 
Kani weaving is believed to be an art indigenous to Kanihama and traced back to 3000 BC. This exquisite shawl was once coveted by Mughal Kings, Sikh Maharajas and British Aristocrats. Kani shawls use needles made from cane or wood. The distinguishable, Mughal patterns, usually of flowers and leaves, are woven into the fabric like a carpet, thread by thread, based on the coded pattern called 'Talim'. The talim guides the weaver in number of warp threads to be covered in a particular colored-weft.