Towel or napkin, embroidered, Turkish, 1800s.

Towel/Napkin Borders which have been cut, joined together and attached to new fabric. Linen embroidered with silk in double darning and musabak stitch, and metal thread in a diagonal filling stitch and with plate in satin stitch.
There is a narrow border above the main one; it is a densely packed floral meander with a metal thread stem, small pink or blue flowers and small pointed leaves. The main border is decorated with a series of large arches supported by columns, all worked in metal thread. Within each arch are four small cypress trees between pairs of larger cypress trees; these are alternately dark or light green. Above the trees is a two-storey domed building, predominantly pink and silver, with silver palm-tree leaves around the roof.
The embroidery has been cut and hemmed along both sides.

Given by Prof. R. M. Dawkins

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.

T.457-1950