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Towel

Towel

  • Place of origin:

    Turkey (made)

  • Date:

    1800-1899 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Embroidered cotton with silk and metal threads

  • Credit Line:

    Given by J. W. F. Morton, Esq.

  • Museum number:

    T.309-1966

  • 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 of embroidered cotton with silk in double darning, double darning on the diagonal, double running in a line, and eyelets and metal thread in fishbone, satin stitch, double darning and double running in a line, and with plate in satin stitch. One side has been cut and hemmed. At each end are two large sprays of pears and a small flower bowl.

Place of Origin

Turkey (made)

Date

1800-1899 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Embroidered cotton with silk and metal threads

Dimensions

Length: 146.5 cm, Width: 62 cm, Length: 57 in, Width: 24 in

Descriptive line

Towel of embroidered cotton with silk and metal threads, Turkey, 1800-1899

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

Illustrated in 'Ottoman Embroidery' by Marianne Ellis and Jennifer Wearden (V&A Publication, 2001); plate 111

Materials

Silk thread; Metal thread; Cotton yarn

Techniques

Weaving; Embroidering; Sewing

Subjects depicted

Stylized flowers; Basket; Pear

Categories

Textiles; Interiors; Embroidery

Collection code

T&F

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Qr_O56690
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