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Towel or napkin

Towel or napkin

  • Place of origin:

    Turkey (made)

  • Date:

    1800-1899 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Linen, brocaded with cotton, and embroidered with silk in double darning on the diagonal, double running in a line and slanted satin stitch, and with plate in satin stitch and satin stitch filling in squares

  • Credit Line:

    Given by Mr Lionel Harris

  • Museum number:

    CIRC.739-1923

  • Gallery location:

    In store

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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, linen decorated with bands of brocaded lozenges in cotton, embroidered with silk in double darning on the diagonal, double running in a line and slanted satin stitch and with plate in satin stitch and satin stitch filling in squares.
Each end has a woven band, then a band of warp threads (no weft) and then the weaving continues. There is one motif repeated three times along each border: a curved, almost circular stem of leaves (the two outer motifs have green leaves and the central one had blue leaves). Within the curved stem is a spray of three pink buds and a large pink flower with small green leaves.

Place of Origin

Turkey (made)

Date

1800-1899 (made)

Artist/maker

unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Linen, brocaded with cotton, and embroidered with silk in double darning on the diagonal, double running in a line and slanted satin stitch, and with plate in satin stitch and satin stitch filling in squares

Dimensions

Length: 145 cm, Width: 47 cm

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

Illustrated in 'Ottoman Embroidery' by Marianne Ellis and Jennifer Wearden (V&A Publication, 2001); plate 116

Materials

Linen; Silk thread; Metal thread; Cotton yarn

Techniques

Weaving; Embroidering

Subjects depicted

Roses; Hyacinth

Categories

Textiles; Embroidery

Collection code

T&D

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Qr_O53764
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