Dress Fabric
1860s (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Woven silk and metal thread.
Made from about 14 pieces of fabric very carefully sewn together, and two pieces from another textile.
The main pattern consists of alternating stripes:
[1] a metal thread ground with a vertical line of rigid flowering stems with a large open red rose head, and bud and two tulip heads with green leaves;
[2] a composite band of three narrow stripes, the central one being undecorated metal thread either side of which is a broader stripe with a mid-blue stripe decorated with isolated red floral sprig with green leaves outlined in metal thread, arranged as one unit above and below two half units.
Across the top is a band, possibly marking the end of a loom piece, with a woven inscription within a cartouche. This repeats as a mirror image several times.
Warp: pink silk
Weft: dark green, black, red, blue and white silk.
Metal thread: silver strip open S-wound on yellow silk
A small piece of woven silk and metal thread has been joined to the main fabric on either side of the band with the inscription. Plain weave ground. Blue ground with a multi-petalled flower head and buds in pink with green leaves, all outlined in [worn] metal thread. The pattern in incomplete.
Warp: pink silk
Weft: light green, red and blue silk.
metal thread: silver strip open S-wound on yellow silk
Made from about 14 pieces of fabric very carefully sewn together, and two pieces from another textile.
The main pattern consists of alternating stripes:
[1] a metal thread ground with a vertical line of rigid flowering stems with a large open red rose head, and bud and two tulip heads with green leaves;
[2] a composite band of three narrow stripes, the central one being undecorated metal thread either side of which is a broader stripe with a mid-blue stripe decorated with isolated red floral sprig with green leaves outlined in metal thread, arranged as one unit above and below two half units.
Across the top is a band, possibly marking the end of a loom piece, with a woven inscription within a cartouche. This repeats as a mirror image several times.
Warp: pink silk
Weft: dark green, black, red, blue and white silk.
Metal thread: silver strip open S-wound on yellow silk
A small piece of woven silk and metal thread has been joined to the main fabric on either side of the band with the inscription. Plain weave ground. Blue ground with a multi-petalled flower head and buds in pink with green leaves, all outlined in [worn] metal thread. The pattern in incomplete.
Warp: pink silk
Weft: light green, red and blue silk.
metal thread: silver strip open S-wound on yellow silk
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | silk thread, metal thread, weaving, sewing |
| Brief description | A fragment of a dress fabric of woven silk with metal threads, Iran, mid-19th century |
| Physical description | Woven silk and metal thread. Made from about 14 pieces of fabric very carefully sewn together, and two pieces from another textile. The main pattern consists of alternating stripes: [1] a metal thread ground with a vertical line of rigid flowering stems with a large open red rose head, and bud and two tulip heads with green leaves; [2] a composite band of three narrow stripes, the central one being undecorated metal thread either side of which is a broader stripe with a mid-blue stripe decorated with isolated red floral sprig with green leaves outlined in metal thread, arranged as one unit above and below two half units. Across the top is a band, possibly marking the end of a loom piece, with a woven inscription within a cartouche. This repeats as a mirror image several times. Warp: pink silk Weft: dark green, black, red, blue and white silk. Metal thread: silver strip open S-wound on yellow silk A small piece of woven silk and metal thread has been joined to the main fabric on either side of the band with the inscription. Plain weave ground. Blue ground with a multi-petalled flower head and buds in pink with green leaves, all outlined in [worn] metal thread. The pattern in incomplete. Warp: pink silk Weft: light green, red and blue silk. metal thread: silver strip open S-wound on yellow silk |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | The work of Sayyid Ismail. (Woven inscription along the top of the piece (loom end).
Two paper labels: [1] ink with two numbers and a line '65' or '59'? [2] ink with '1769' and 'iz/-'?) |
| Object history | Given by Mr Frank W Taylor |
| Bibliographic reference | Illustrated in 'Iranian Textiles' by Jennifer Wearden and Patricia L Baker, V&A Publishing 2010 plate 7 page 87 (whole) and page 86 (detail of inscription). |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.84-1929 |
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| Record created | April 29, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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