Not currently on display at the V&A

Mat

1800-1860 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Oval mat of cotton velvet, cut pile, embroidered with couched metal thread and embroidered with silk in straight stitches; edged with a metal thread lace and backed with plain weave silk.
The ground is light brown velvety. In the centre is a 'gold' 8-pointed star with a central roundel qand a circle of red silk dots outlines in silver. The dots may be chenille thread; they are unlike the rest of the coloured embroidery which is flat. Each point of the star ends with a blue trefoil. The star is surrounded by an 8-pointed line decorated with small inward pointing pink trefoils and outward pointing green, yellow and pink trefoil. Each point of the line ends with either a 'gold' flower head in profile couched to create a basket-weave effect or a 3-petalled flower head in pink, light blue , yellow and black with metal thread basket-weave leaves. There are coloured silk and metal thread flower and leaf groups filling the spaces between the main motifs. Isolated pink flowers and coloured leaves form a border around the edge.
Embroidery threads: silk: black Z-twist; yellow, pink, light blue, dark green, blue, light green all 2S.
Metal threads: silver strip close S-wound on Z-twist white silk core; silver-gilt close S-wound on Z-twist white silk core.
The stems and outlines have been worked over laid white silk threads to create a raised effect.
An edging has been added: it seems to be braided metal thread with a crochet border along one side.
Backing: pieced, dark reed plain weave silk.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
silk thread, metal thread, cotton yarn, weaving, embroidering, crochet, sewing
Brief description
embroidered, 1800s, Persian
Physical description
Oval mat of cotton velvet, cut pile, embroidered with couched metal thread and embroidered with silk in straight stitches; edged with a metal thread lace and backed with plain weave silk.
The ground is light brown velvety. In the centre is a 'gold' 8-pointed star with a central roundel qand a circle of red silk dots outlines in silver. The dots may be chenille thread; they are unlike the rest of the coloured embroidery which is flat. Each point of the star ends with a blue trefoil. The star is surrounded by an 8-pointed line decorated with small inward pointing pink trefoils and outward pointing green, yellow and pink trefoil. Each point of the line ends with either a 'gold' flower head in profile couched to create a basket-weave effect or a 3-petalled flower head in pink, light blue , yellow and black with metal thread basket-weave leaves. There are coloured silk and metal thread flower and leaf groups filling the spaces between the main motifs. Isolated pink flowers and coloured leaves form a border around the edge.
Embroidery threads: silk: black Z-twist; yellow, pink, light blue, dark green, blue, light green all 2S.
Metal threads: silver strip close S-wound on Z-twist white silk core; silver-gilt close S-wound on Z-twist white silk core.
The stems and outlines have been worked over laid white silk threads to create a raised effect.
An edging has been added: it seems to be braided metal thread with a crochet border along one side.
Backing: pieced, dark reed plain weave silk.
Dimensions
  • Length: 44.5cm
  • Width: 41cm
Oval
Bibliographic reference
Published in 'Iranian Textiles' by Jennifer Wearden and Patricia L Baker (V&A Publishing, 2010) Plate 65.
Collection
Accession number
836-1876

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Record createdJanuary 29, 2008
Record URL
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