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Furnishing fabric

Furnishing fabric

  • Place of origin:

    Turkey (made)

  • Date:

    16th century (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Velvet, cut silk pile in red and gold thread woven with a twill tie

  • Museum number:

    100-1878

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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This velvet furnishing fabric was woven in Bursa, Turkey, to compete with similar velvets woven in Venice and Florence. It was produced under the Ottoman dynasty, who sought to challenge the Italian domination of the international textile market.

The design is based on a pattern like those found on Italian velvets. However, the Turkish weavers have changed individual elements to give it a more 'Ottoman' look. The dominant floral motif shown here is a stylised, fan-like carnation that is one of the most typical of Ottoman textile patterns.

Physical description

Red ground with gold thread, the decoration is formed by ogival design of carnation within a setting of roses and hyacinths. Silk and cotton foundation with cut silk pile and areas brocaded with metal thread.

Place of Origin

Turkey (made)

Date

16th century (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Velvet, cut silk pile in red and gold thread woven with a twill tie

Dimensions

Length: 134 cm

Historical context note

The ogival motifs on this velvet show Italian influence and the design seems to belong to the first half of the sixteenth century. Together with V&A 144-1891 and 1357-1877 this item shows the intechange between Turkish motifs adopted and adapted by Italian weavers and then 're-orientalised' by Turkish weavers after the Italian models.

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

Victoria and Albert Museum, Brief Guide to Turkish Woven Fabrics. London, 1950. 23pp., ill. Plate 17, p. 14
Tim Stanley ed., with Mariam Rosser-Owen and Stephen Vernoit, Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Middle East, London, V&A Publications, 2004; p. 125, plate 146

Exhibition History

Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Victoria and Albert Museum (The Millennium Galleries, Sheffield 14/01/2006-16/04/2006)
Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Victoria and Albert Museum (Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo 01/10/2005-04/12/2005)
Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Victoria and Albert Museum (Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas 03/04/2005-04/09/2005)
Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Victoria and Albert Museum (National Gallery of Art, Washington 18/07/2004-06/02/2005)

Production Note

Possibly Istanbul or Bursa

Materials

Silk; Gold thread

Subjects depicted

Roses; Carnation; Hyacinth

Categories

Islam; Textiles

Collection code

MES

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Qr_O86240
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