Prayer Mat
1800-1899 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Hanging or prayer mat of embroidered plain-weave silk with silk in straight stitches, needle weaving and pulled thread work, and whitework. Interlined with woollen twill, backed with plain weave silk and faced with silk satin. There is an outermost border with needle woven lozenges between narrow bands of diamonds [a].
The outer border has pointed lozenges/cartouches in openwork through which the red interlining can be seen. The spaces between are filled with triangles of straight stitch forming diamonds. In each corner is a square containing a large X-motif. The border [a] is repeated. The main border is slightly wider. It is divided into sections by the needle woven band of lozenges. In each corner is a square with an X-motif against a background of stepped triangles forming squares. The long sections contain large diamonds in pulled thread work. With a lozenge in the centre of each. The background is formed by stepped triangles forming squares. The outermost border [a] and the needle woven bands are repeated. This time the bands divide the border into sections. The large central rectangular panel contains an arch-shape of three bands of pulled thread and embroidery and they are form a zig-zagged outline. At the base they form a wide W-shape with the remaining triangular corner being pulled into an openwork pattern, each with an embroidered rectangle. The spandrels are also openwork and contain a pair of small lozenges and a pair of linked triangles. The arch contains a long elaborate cypress tree balanced on a lozenge. It includes diamonds and cartouches of openwork, a ground of embroidered triangles forming squares and a border of embroidered stars. A pair of parrots is at the base. To either side is a small cypress tree in finer pulled thread work, each with a parrot on top and above, and close to the tip of the central cypress is a small tree below a parrot. There is a parrot on top of the central cypress tree.
Embroidery Thread: cream silk; 2S.
Interlining: red woollen twill.
Backing: pieced, two different colours of silk, one purple and one more red.
Facing: bias-cut; green satin.
The outer border has pointed lozenges/cartouches in openwork through which the red interlining can be seen. The spaces between are filled with triangles of straight stitch forming diamonds. In each corner is a square containing a large X-motif. The border [a] is repeated. The main border is slightly wider. It is divided into sections by the needle woven band of lozenges. In each corner is a square with an X-motif against a background of stepped triangles forming squares. The long sections contain large diamonds in pulled thread work. With a lozenge in the centre of each. The background is formed by stepped triangles forming squares. The outermost border [a] and the needle woven bands are repeated. This time the bands divide the border into sections. The large central rectangular panel contains an arch-shape of three bands of pulled thread and embroidery and they are form a zig-zagged outline. At the base they form a wide W-shape with the remaining triangular corner being pulled into an openwork pattern, each with an embroidered rectangle. The spandrels are also openwork and contain a pair of small lozenges and a pair of linked triangles. The arch contains a long elaborate cypress tree balanced on a lozenge. It includes diamonds and cartouches of openwork, a ground of embroidered triangles forming squares and a border of embroidered stars. A pair of parrots is at the base. To either side is a small cypress tree in finer pulled thread work, each with a parrot on top and above, and close to the tip of the central cypress is a small tree below a parrot. There is a parrot on top of the central cypress tree.
Embroidery Thread: cream silk; 2S.
Interlining: red woollen twill.
Backing: pieced, two different colours of silk, one purple and one more red.
Facing: bias-cut; green satin.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Embroidered plain-weave silk with silk, woollen twill, satin |
| Brief description | Hanging or prayer mat of embroidered plain-weave silk with silk, Iran, 1800-1899 |
| Physical description | Hanging or prayer mat of embroidered plain-weave silk with silk in straight stitches, needle weaving and pulled thread work, and whitework. Interlined with woollen twill, backed with plain weave silk and faced with silk satin. There is an outermost border with needle woven lozenges between narrow bands of diamonds [a]. The outer border has pointed lozenges/cartouches in openwork through which the red interlining can be seen. The spaces between are filled with triangles of straight stitch forming diamonds. In each corner is a square containing a large X-motif. The border [a] is repeated. The main border is slightly wider. It is divided into sections by the needle woven band of lozenges. In each corner is a square with an X-motif against a background of stepped triangles forming squares. The long sections contain large diamonds in pulled thread work. With a lozenge in the centre of each. The background is formed by stepped triangles forming squares. The outermost border [a] and the needle woven bands are repeated. This time the bands divide the border into sections. The large central rectangular panel contains an arch-shape of three bands of pulled thread and embroidery and they are form a zig-zagged outline. At the base they form a wide W-shape with the remaining triangular corner being pulled into an openwork pattern, each with an embroidered rectangle. The spandrels are also openwork and contain a pair of small lozenges and a pair of linked triangles. The arch contains a long elaborate cypress tree balanced on a lozenge. It includes diamonds and cartouches of openwork, a ground of embroidered triangles forming squares and a border of embroidered stars. A pair of parrots is at the base. To either side is a small cypress tree in finer pulled thread work, each with a parrot on top and above, and close to the tip of the central cypress is a small tree below a parrot. There is a parrot on top of the central cypress tree. Embroidery Thread: cream silk; 2S. Interlining: red woollen twill. Backing: pieced, two different colours of silk, one purple and one more red. Facing: bias-cut; green satin. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | '125' (Paper label written in ink sewn to lower left hand corner at the back) |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs E. M. Gibson |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.17-1964 |
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| Record created | October 15, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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