Napkin
1850-1875 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
At the end of the 18th century embroidery designs began to develop into rigid and heavily stylised borders for towels and napkins. The colours of 18th and 19th century embroideries were originally very bright but many have faded to pleasing pastel shades; often great quantities of metal thread were used. Napkins were mainly used to clean fingers during meals, but were also used as decoration and as covers. Their designs were consistently inventive.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cotton, embroidered with silk in double running variations and combinations, and with metal thread in satin stitch filling in squares |
| Brief description | Towel or napkin, embroidered, Turkish, 1800s. |
| Physical description | Towel/Napkin, cotton embroidered with silk in double running variations and combinations and with metal thread in satin stitch filling in squares. Each end is bordered by a line of small motifs: a gold bowl with one floral spray of two blue flowers, two red leaves and one blue flower at the top. Below this is a very narrow band of embroidered cypress trees alternating with two other stylised motifs. The ends and lower sides of the towel are edged with metal and brown silk. One side has been cut and hemmed. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | At the end of the 18th century embroidery designs began to develop into rigid and heavily stylised borders for towels and napkins. The colours of 18th and 19th century embroideries were originally very bright but many have faded to pleasing pastel shades; often great quantities of metal thread were used. Napkins were mainly used to clean fingers during meals, but were also used as decoration and as covers. Their designs were consistently inventive. |
| Bibliographic reference | Illustrated in 'Ottoman Embroidery' by Marianne Ellis and Jennifer Wearden (V&A Publications, 2001); plate 140 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 680-1877 |
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| Record created | January 9, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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