Textile Panel
1700-1750 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Fringed and backed cover of loosely woven cotton embroidered silk. There is a large star-shaped medallion with a cypres tree in the centre. To the left of the tree is the kneeling figure of a man wearing a Safavid taj, playing a lute-like instrument. To the right is the slighly smaller figure of a man holding a bowl. A long-tailed blue bird is perched on the tree. The field of the faded pink medallion is filled with floral stems which begin at the base of the tree. The medallion is surrounded first by a narrow light blue border, and then by a broader border of pale green containing animals and scattered leaves including a leopard. A fringe was added in crimson, yellow, white and green.
There are remains of an inked sketch/drawing underneath the embroidery.
Colours: (Embroidery threads, 2S silk): coral pink [faded], white, yellow, mid-blue, light green, black [later largely lost]; (Backing): deep pink satin silk warp, beige weft.
There are remains of an inked sketch/drawing underneath the embroidery.
Colours: (Embroidery threads, 2S silk): coral pink [faded], white, yellow, mid-blue, light green, black [later largely lost]; (Backing): deep pink satin silk warp, beige weft.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
Materials and techniques | Plainweave cotton embroidered with floss silk in surface darning on the diagonal and runing stitch, to create a twill effect |
Brief description | Middle East, Textile; Panel, silk-embroidered cotton, cut down from larger textile and mounted with border fringe, Safavid-style design of kneeling musician and standing woman within star medallion, against blue background with animals, possibly Azerbaijan or Iran, 1700-1750 |
Physical description | Fringed and backed cover of loosely woven cotton embroidered silk. There is a large star-shaped medallion with a cypres tree in the centre. To the left of the tree is the kneeling figure of a man wearing a Safavid taj, playing a lute-like instrument. To the right is the slighly smaller figure of a man holding a bowl. A long-tailed blue bird is perched on the tree. The field of the faded pink medallion is filled with floral stems which begin at the base of the tree. The medallion is surrounded first by a narrow light blue border, and then by a broader border of pale green containing animals and scattered leaves including a leopard. A fringe was added in crimson, yellow, white and green. There are remains of an inked sketch/drawing underneath the embroidery. Colours: (Embroidery threads, 2S silk): coral pink [faded], white, yellow, mid-blue, light green, black [later largely lost]; (Backing): deep pink satin silk warp, beige weft. |
Dimensions |
|
Style | |
Object history | Purchased for £2 10s. from Mrs Conyers Morrell, Field House, Summertown, Oxford on 25 August 1899. |
Production | This embroidery belongs to Group 3 as defined by Jennifer Wearden, 'Azerbaijan Embroideries: A Synthesis of Contrasts', Hali 59 (October 1991) pp. 102-111. Group 3 textiles are characterised by surface darning on the diagonal and date from the middle of the 18th century into the early part of the 19th century. |
Bibliographic reference | Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Textiles, Brief Guide to the Persian Embroideries (London: Board of Education, 1929) Pl.X. |
Collection | |
Accession number | 794-1899 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | May 17, 1999 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest