Saddle Cloth
c.1725-1750 (made)
Place of origin |
Saddle cloth of embroidered cotton with silver-gilt thread and appliquéd with velvet. With a stylised floral pattern of red flowers and green foliage on a gold ground, and enclosed within borders of alternating red squares and green rectangles. Edged with silk braid. Lining of brocade woven in brightly coloured silks and silver-gilt thread. High projecting pommel.
The cloth is wider in the front than behind. In the middle of the forward edge is a circular opening which encircles the pommel. The velvet appliqué pattern is formed by a diaper of compartments outlined by vertical undulating leafy stems. Each compartment encloses one of three flowers, repeated consecutively in the horizontal rows, or alternately in the diagonal rows. In the middle of the field and at each corner is a lobed panel containing a symmetrical floral spray. Round all the sides of the cloth and round the pommel opening is a wide border of wavy stems bearing floral forms. The ground of gold is worked to give the effect of ribbing. The design of the brocade lining is the same in scheme as that of the front, but the flowers filling the foliate trellis of green are all the same and are carried out in forget-me-not blue, salmon pink and green, as are the flowers of the undulating border. The ground is of laid gold thread. The tablet-woven binding braid has a chevron motive in gold.
The cloth is wider in the front than behind. In the middle of the forward edge is a circular opening which encircles the pommel. The velvet appliqué pattern is formed by a diaper of compartments outlined by vertical undulating leafy stems. Each compartment encloses one of three flowers, repeated consecutively in the horizontal rows, or alternately in the diagonal rows. In the middle of the field and at each corner is a lobed panel containing a symmetrical floral spray. Round all the sides of the cloth and round the pommel opening is a wide border of wavy stems bearing floral forms. The ground of gold is worked to give the effect of ribbing. The design of the brocade lining is the same in scheme as that of the front, but the flowers filling the foliate trellis of green are all the same and are carried out in forget-me-not blue, salmon pink and green, as are the flowers of the undulating border. The ground is of laid gold thread. The tablet-woven binding braid has a chevron motive in gold.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Embroidered cotton with silver-gilt thread and velvet appliqué |
Brief description | Saddle cloth, cotton embroidered with metal-wrapped thread and velvet appliqué, lined with silk brocade, Hyderabad, Deccan, c. 1725-50; |
Physical description | Saddle cloth of embroidered cotton with silver-gilt thread and appliquéd with velvet. With a stylised floral pattern of red flowers and green foliage on a gold ground, and enclosed within borders of alternating red squares and green rectangles. Edged with silk braid. Lining of brocade woven in brightly coloured silks and silver-gilt thread. High projecting pommel. The cloth is wider in the front than behind. In the middle of the forward edge is a circular opening which encircles the pommel. The velvet appliqué pattern is formed by a diaper of compartments outlined by vertical undulating leafy stems. Each compartment encloses one of three flowers, repeated consecutively in the horizontal rows, or alternately in the diagonal rows. In the middle of the field and at each corner is a lobed panel containing a symmetrical floral spray. Round all the sides of the cloth and round the pommel opening is a wide border of wavy stems bearing floral forms. The ground of gold is worked to give the effect of ribbing. The design of the brocade lining is the same in scheme as that of the front, but the flowers filling the foliate trellis of green are all the same and are carried out in forget-me-not blue, salmon pink and green, as are the flowers of the undulating border. The ground is of laid gold thread. The tablet-woven binding braid has a chevron motive in gold. |
Dimensions |
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Gallery label |
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Object history | This saddle-cloth was formerly in the toshakhana (textile store) of the Nizams of Hyderabad, and is associated with the reign of Asaf Jah (r.1724-48)It was bought from the famous Hungarian dealer Imre Schwaiger, who supplied this provenance when the museum bought the saddle-cloth from him in 1927 for £80. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | IM.68-1927 |
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Record created | June 5, 2000 |
Record URL |
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