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Towel or napkin

Towel or napkin

  • Place of origin:

    Turkey (made)

  • Date:

    1830-1870 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Cotton, embroidered with silk in double darning and double running variations, and with metal thread in fishbone and satin stitch

  • Credit Line:

    Given by Mr Charles Clarke

  • Museum number:

    T.29-1914

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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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.

Physical description

Towel or Napkin, cotton embroidered with silk in double darning and double running variations and with metal thread in fishbone and satin stitch.
The ends have been rolled and secured and decorated with a border of small scallops, probably needlelace.
The minor border along the ends has isolated motifs which are horizontal and are slightly curled at either end to form S- and Z-shapes. These alternate, as do the colours: dark green and light green. Each shape is edge with short stitches at right angles so that they look like caterpillars.
The main border consists of nineteen trees placed on an undulating silver line bordered by dark green and green leaves in alternate sections, above and blowe the line. There are two types of tree: (1) thin dark green leaves edged with light green and with a silver trunk and (2) fuller dark green trees, outlined with dark green, containing yellow or pink circular blossoms and a silver trunk.

Place of Origin

Turkey (made)

Date

1830-1870 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Cotton, embroidered with silk in double darning and double running variations, and with metal thread in fishbone and satin stitch

Dimensions

Length: 118 cm, Width: 54 cm

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Illustrated in 'Ottoman Embroidery' by Marianne Ellis and Jennifer Wearden (V&A Publications, 2001); plate 141

Materials

Silk thread; Metal thread; Cotton yarn

Techniques

Weaving; Embroidering; Lace making

Subjects depicted

Trees; Stylized flowers

Categories

Textiles; Embroidery

Collection code

T&F

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Qr_O52265
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