Silk Fragment
1550-1600 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Silk damask fragment, with ogival lattice pattern of cream lobed medallions containing crimson red triple-dots and tiger stripes, reserved against red ground. The spots and stripes are stylised representations of leopard and tiger skins, and may be the pattern referred to as pelenk (meaning leopard) in Ottoman sources.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Red and cream silk damask |
| Brief description | Silk damask fragment, with ogival lattice pattern of cream lobed medallions containing red triple-dots and tiger stripes, reserved against red ground, probably Bursa, Ottoman Turkey, 1550-1600 |
| Physical description | Silk damask fragment, with ogival lattice pattern of cream lobed medallions containing crimson red triple-dots and tiger stripes, reserved against red ground. The spots and stripes are stylised representations of leopard and tiger skins, and may be the pattern referred to as pelenk (meaning leopard) in Ottoman sources. |
| Style | |
| Gallery label | Jameel Gallery
Animal Pelt Designs
Pairs of wavy lines and groups of three large dots represent the pelts of the striped tiger and spotted leopard. In the Islamic world, the designs acquired powerful associations. The Iranian hero Rustam, for example, is usually depicted wearing a tiger-skin coat.
By 1500, these designs were popular on Ottoman Turkish textiles, and were often combined. They soon appeared in other media, such as tilework.
The triple-dot design has been confused with the Buddhist ‘precious jewel’ motif (Sanskrit cintamani), which is sometimes shown in groups of three. But there is no connection.
4 Silk Fragment
Turkey, probably Bursa
1550–1600
Silk damask
Museum no. 1071-1900
(20/09/2012) |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1071-1900 |
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| Record created | April 17, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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