When Pashm-the delicate fibre which gives the Kashmir fabric its special properties, but which is produced by goats reared on high-altitude pastures in Ladakh and Tibet, hundreds of miles from Kashmir’s smiling valley-made its appearance in the West in the form of the shawl, it featured as “cashmere”. (P12)
以及另一段落提到:
Pashm/Pashmina, accordingly, may be defined as the finest quality of cashmere, coming from the Tibetan goat; all pashmina is cashmere, but not all cashmere is pashmina. (P14)
事實上在十九世紀以前,喀什米爾的語彙使用上從不曾出現過cashmere,一直以來他們說Pashm,源至於波斯語(Farsi:Posh),原意泛指各種羊毛,爾後烏爾都語繼續沿用直自今日,同時隨著工藝的發展,Pashm成了西藏高山羊群的絨毛(the down of the Tibetan goat)的專屬用語,其毛料纖維經由手工紡成的紗線就叫做pashmina,隨後pashmina更泛指所有這類紗線織成的高級布料、圍巾與披肩。
面對西方資本主義長久以來的挾持、改用,喀什米爾已對“Kashmir pashmina”加以正名(Pashmina has been registered as a Geographical Indication under TRIPS: Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights),強調純正血統的驕傲與歷史遺產的價值,但一般世人的認知早已深植不易改變,甚至最後許多當地商人與工坊也為了避免解釋麻煩,就叫pashmina做cashmere。遺憾的是有些店家會用這樣詞語上的模糊性做商業操作-以pashmina的價錢販賣cashmere品質的織品。
1960年之前,幾乎所有的pashm羊毛都是來至於西藏西邊,而拉達克只是作為中轉管道,然而當中國佔領西藏後,中印邊界不在開放來往,改變了一直以來的貿易路線模式,今日拉達克的牧羊人取而代之成了最主要的羊毛供應商,另有一說法是當時中印交界關閉之時,許多遊牧藏人寧願逃往拉達克地區,身份成了難民(refugee)。最後因為這些遊牧民族與羊群主要棲息在拉達克東南邊changthang的高山地區,於是現今,喀什米爾人很少使用西藏高山羊(Tibetan goat)一詞,多半稱呼這些羊為changthangi goat,或是changra,而牧羊人則是叫做changpa。還有更簡單地說法,就直接叫做pashmina goat,簡單明暸。
這些年來我的喜馬拉雅山健行移動多半在高度2700–4000公尺之間,秋轉冬的季節時分溫度已經可以來到攝氏零度左右,夜晚時間甚至驟降到零度以下,可以想像更高地方的冬日氣候會有多酷寒,事實上羊群棲息高度多半在四千多到五千公尺地區,甚至更高可達5600公尺,冬季溫度會來到零下攝氏五十度,pashmina goat: changra因應如此酷寒嚴苛環境的生存之道,或說是造物者神奇偉大之處便是他們的毛髮纖維特性:輕量(light)、柔軟(soft)且溫暖(warm)。
當地的牧羊人(changpa)會在夏季時分梳取羊毛pashm,收集並加以分類:一者為最為精緻、輕量保暖的高等羊毛(the finest light-weight wool),隨後這些原料會被手工紡製成紗(yarn),也就是pashmina的絲線;另外一種則是較為粗糙或是缺乏彈性的絨毛(coarse),多半會與其他羊種、物種(主要是氂牛),或是纖維合成物(cashmilon -synthetic fibre, cotton, or a mixture of both)混合,我有看過網路上說法用Raffal一詞統稱這類mixed羊毛。但根據自己目前合作的織品工作室的定義,raffal特指為美麗諾羊毛等級的織品,那種混了其他毛料的pashm就叫做mixed wool或是semi-pashmina。
For the grass that you have just eaten, oh goat, give us some good pashm. For the water that you have just drink, oh goat, give us some good pashm. Sit down on the grass and be still, oh goat, so that we can take out your pashm.
“However, the quality of a finished shawl is not solely dependent on the fibre diameter of the wool but also on the craftsmen’s skills.”
附帶一提,在喀什米爾其實還有另一種比pashmina更為高級細緻的羊毛,叫做Shahtoosh,來至於海拔更高的一種羚羊,叫做chiru,因為數量的稀少性,用其纖維所織成的圍巾被稱作王者的織品(King’s shawl),但今日已被立法禁止採取、製作與販售等動作以避免物種滅絕。我曾經聽過當地人對這樣羊毛的誇張形容:只要一碰到shahtoosh,馬上就能感受到熱度(heat),將其握在手心就如同握著一把火焰,你怎麼還會感到寒冷?聽完後我在無法親身感受的狀況下,只能笑回說:穿上它我還真是boy on fire了!