silk satin embroidered with silk in flat stitch and couched metal thread, backed with plain weave cotton.
The central panel [53 x 55.5 cm] is dark red satin with red warp and pink weft, decorated mainly with couched metal thread with details in coloured silk. The design is repeated in each quarter of the panel. In the centre of the panel is a small 5-petalled rosette in white silk surrounded by 4 pomegranates and originally 4 curling leaf stems in silver metal thread. The pomegranate is surmounted by a large bird shown in profile in silver-gilt with coloured details on the wing, collar and beak. A straight stem in silver from its back leads to a large composite blossom in silver and silver-gilt with coloured details which occupies the whole corner. Two stems bearing slender serrated leaves in silver emerge from this blossom curving down and inwards, each terminating in a silver and silver-gilt bud again with coloured silk details. In some places the under-drawing in ink is visible where the couching has worn away. There is evidence that a black and white thread was laid down as an outline and couched with brown silk.
The flat stitch colours are: white, light blue, dark blue, light yellow, coral, orange, light green and very light [faded] pink; all silk 2S.
Metal threads: silver strip close S-wound on S-twist white silk, couched with white silk and silver-gilt strip close S-wound on light yellow Z-twist silk, couched with coral silk now faded.
The couching is in twill and chevrons patterns.
The border was pieced before being embroidered. The ground is light turquoise silk satin decorated with an irregular repetition of an S or Z curving leaf motif, all in silver-gilt with small silver infill designs and a 5-petalled central rosette in pink and white silk. Alternate motifs are seemingly placed on top of a generous curving stem [either S or Z curve] in silver, terminating with a teardrop bud with white, light green and turquoise, and possibly black, silk in a chevron arrangement; the others with a small curving stem in silver-gilt without coloured silk details. There is also evidence of the motifs having been originally outlined with couched black and white silk. The under-drawing can be seen in places.
The seam joining the border to the main panel was concealed beneath an edging of black silk thread held in place by a meander of a single silver thread between four rows of silver thread. It appears that a similar edging was around the outer edge of the cover. There is evidence along one side of the border fabric of a coloured or striped selvedge in pink and yellow.
Backing: light brown plain weave cotton.