What is "shahtoosh"

alt. 1 (context countable English) A light but warm Kashmiri shawl made with hair from the chiru, or Tibetan antelope (''Pantholops hodgsonii''), an endangered species. 2 (context uncountable English) fibre used in the making of such shawls. n. 1 (context countable English) A light but warm Kashmiri shawl made with hair from the chiru, or Tibetan antelope (''Pantholops hodgsonii''), an endangered species. 2 (context uncountable English) fibre used in the making of such shawls.

Shahtoosh (also written shahtush, a Persian word meaning "king of fine wools") is the name given to a specific kind of shawl, which is woven with the down hair of the Tibetan antelope (chiru), by master craftsmen and women of Kashmir, Northern India. The Shahtoosh shawl is now a banned item with possession and sale being illegal in most countries for the Chiru is an endangered species under CITES. However, the weaving of Shahtoosh shawls continues in secret in Kashmir due to high demand by western buyers. The estimated market value of one Shahtoosh shawl in the western market is around $5000–6000. Shahtoosh is the world's finest wool having the lowest micron count, followed by Vicuna and Pashmina.