a Very Rare Chikankari Embroidery Rumal On the Cotton From Lucknow India. Chikankari became popular with the Mughals and may have originated in Bengal. There are several legends describing its association with Lucknow, all charming.  The most likely is derived from the white on white embroidery of Persia and traveled to India with the Persian nobles who worked at the Mughal court. Nur Jahan was the daughter of one such noble, herself an accomplished and tasteful embroiderer. It is most likely that she popularised the craft, mainly because she lived in Bengal as part of her personal history and must have become acquainted with muslin too.   The name Chikankari interestingly has a Persian origin, where it means ‘needle’ as a metaphor.   C.1875-1900 Its size is 30cmX31cm (20230819_160014).