Prayer Mat thumbnail 1
Prayer Mat thumbnail 2
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Not currently on display at the V&A

Prayer Mat

1800-1880 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Prayer mat of woven silk backed with roller-printed cotton and faced with woven cotton.
Woven in one piece, there are no seams. The white ground is divided into wide and narrow stripes; all the colour is carried in the warp. From the left:
[1] narrow stripe with an upright floral motif of an iris, 2 buds and 2 pale green leaves rising from a small dark green mound with a pair of small dark green leaves. The petals of the flowers and buds are worked in cream silk. The floral motif alternates with a small dark green flowerhead in the centre of 2 dark green brackets with half flowerheads at each end.
[2] wide stripe: a cartouche shaped lattice formed by fine dark green S and Z shaped lines with a rounded pale green flowerhead where the lines meet and also half way along each line. In each compartment is a stylized cypress tree in pale green with dark green details.
[3] as [1]
[4] Central stripe: this is a narrower version of [2] and is 13 cm wide rather than 29.5 cm. The design in the upper 13.5 cm changes to form a mihrab/niche. The change is abrupt with 3 dark green and 2 pale green lines forming an elongated lobed arch. The ground is yellow and the niche contains curling dark green stems bearing pink carnations. There is a spray of 4 pink flowerheads at the base of the arch and at the top of it is a motif in dark and pale green which looks like the 'eye' in a peacock feather.
Backing: pieced; white ground printed with small black dots and fine black stems and leaves which come from a curved dull red feathery leaf outlined in white.
Facing: bias cut, white and dark grey striped cotton.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
cotton yarn, silk thread, weaving, printing, sewing.
Brief description
Middle East, Textile; woven silk, 1800s, Persian
Physical description
Prayer mat of woven silk backed with roller-printed cotton and faced with woven cotton.
Woven in one piece, there are no seams. The white ground is divided into wide and narrow stripes; all the colour is carried in the warp. From the left:
[1] narrow stripe with an upright floral motif of an iris, 2 buds and 2 pale green leaves rising from a small dark green mound with a pair of small dark green leaves. The petals of the flowers and buds are worked in cream silk. The floral motif alternates with a small dark green flowerhead in the centre of 2 dark green brackets with half flowerheads at each end.
[2] wide stripe: a cartouche shaped lattice formed by fine dark green S and Z shaped lines with a rounded pale green flowerhead where the lines meet and also half way along each line. In each compartment is a stylized cypress tree in pale green with dark green details.
[3] as [1]
[4] Central stripe: this is a narrower version of [2] and is 13 cm wide rather than 29.5 cm. The design in the upper 13.5 cm changes to form a mihrab/niche. The change is abrupt with 3 dark green and 2 pale green lines forming an elongated lobed arch. The ground is yellow and the niche contains curling dark green stems bearing pink carnations. There is a spray of 4 pink flowerheads at the base of the arch and at the top of it is a motif in dark and pale green which looks like the 'eye' in a peacock feather.
Backing: pieced; white ground printed with small black dots and fine black stems and leaves which come from a curved dull red feathery leaf outlined in white.
Facing: bias cut, white and dark grey striped cotton.
Dimensions
  • Length: 138cm
  • Width: 91.5cm
Bibliographic reference
Illustrated in 'Iranian Textiles' by Jennifer Wearden and Patricia L Baker, V&A Publishing 2010 plate 24 page 106.
Collection
Accession number
1435-1903

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Record createdOctober 8, 2008
Record URL
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