Not currently on display at the V&A

Cap

19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Cap, plain weave cotton, quilted, lined with plain weave cotton, embroidered with silk and metal thread in running and chain and buttonhole stitches and with spangles; partly unpicked.

Four conical curved sections of cream cotton, each three layers thick, sewn together and quilted in the central area with fine narrow diagonal lines using white silk in a running stitch. The quilting is corded: white cotton thread has been laid in a continuous sinuous line on the back of the upper layer and seems to have been glued in placed - it was not inserted through the quilted channels using a needle - the quilted lines were worked around the threads. A second layer was glued on to these threads and the final layer of the backing was stitched in place. The quilting lines come from a narrow stylized cypress tree with a twin bird-headed root triangle and two small boteh motifs at the base, while the tree is infilled with a flowering stem; a pair of birds face downwards at the top of each cypress and two gilded spangles are sewn inside the twin bird-headed root. All motifs are outlined in chain stitch in [faded] coral red, light green, light blue, 'bronze' brown and [tarnished] metal thread. Each section is outlined along the 3 sides with a band containing a blue and [faded] coral red meander with rosettes in the spaces in the above coloured silks, omitting the metal thread; above the band, facing into the central space is a row of small botehs. Again chain stitch is used but with some buttonhole for the rosette. A line of black silk chain stitch outlines each of the four sections. The under-drawing in ink may be seen in places.

Lining: 3 of the 4 panels are backed with a coarse plain weave cream cotton, pieced in places and held in place with stitching.
Embroidery Thread: 'bronze' and light blue silk, S-twist; 2S.
Metal Thread: silver strip close S-wound on light yellow silk core.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Cotton, silk and metal threads with weaving, quilting, embroidery and spangles
Brief description
Embroidered cotton cap, Iran, 19th century
Physical description
Cap, plain weave cotton, quilted, lined with plain weave cotton, embroidered with silk and metal thread in running and chain and buttonhole stitches and with spangles; partly unpicked.

Four conical curved sections of cream cotton, each three layers thick, sewn together and quilted in the central area with fine narrow diagonal lines using white silk in a running stitch. The quilting is corded: white cotton thread has been laid in a continuous sinuous line on the back of the upper layer and seems to have been glued in placed - it was not inserted through the quilted channels using a needle - the quilted lines were worked around the threads. A second layer was glued on to these threads and the final layer of the backing was stitched in place. The quilting lines come from a narrow stylized cypress tree with a twin bird-headed root triangle and two small boteh motifs at the base, while the tree is infilled with a flowering stem; a pair of birds face downwards at the top of each cypress and two gilded spangles are sewn inside the twin bird-headed root. All motifs are outlined in chain stitch in [faded] coral red, light green, light blue, 'bronze' brown and [tarnished] metal thread. Each section is outlined along the 3 sides with a band containing a blue and [faded] coral red meander with rosettes in the spaces in the above coloured silks, omitting the metal thread; above the band, facing into the central space is a row of small botehs. Again chain stitch is used but with some buttonhole for the rosette. A line of black silk chain stitch outlines each of the four sections. The under-drawing in ink may be seen in places.

Lining: 3 of the 4 panels are backed with a coarse plain weave cream cotton, pieced in places and held in place with stitching.
Embroidery Thread: 'bronze' and light blue silk, S-twist; 2S.
Metal Thread: silver strip close S-wound on light yellow silk core.
Dimensions
  • Height: 24cm
  • Hem circumference: 53cm
Credit line
Given by Major R Jackson MBE C.C.
Collection
Accession number
T.74-1970

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Record createdJuly 16, 2008
Record URL
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