Mat thumbnail 1

Mat

1800 - 1850 (made)
Place of origin

Circular mat, white cotton ground, with applied red velvet panels in the centre. The wide border is entirely covered with couched silver and silver-gilt strips, inset segments of velvet, with sequins, beetle wing-case sections, and floss-silk embroidery for the leaves of the flowers. The mat is padded and has its original red cotton backing.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Cotton, velvet, metal strips, sequins, floss silk, embroidery, couching.
Brief description
Huqqa mat, velvet and metal thread embroidery; India, 1800 to 1850
Physical description
Circular mat, white cotton ground, with applied red velvet panels in the centre. The wide border is entirely covered with couched silver and silver-gilt strips, inset segments of velvet, with sequins, beetle wing-case sections, and floss-silk embroidery for the leaves of the flowers. The mat is padded and has its original red cotton backing.
Dimensions
  • Including fringe diameter: 53.4cm
Production typeUnique
Production
Probably from Lucknow, but has a seal (possibly from Hyderabad) on the reverse.
Bibliographic references
  • Indian embroidery / Rosemary Crill ; photography by Richard Davis. London: V&A Publications, 1999 Number: 185177310X, 1851772944 (pbk.) p.69, cat. no. 61
  • India's fabled city : the art of courtly Lucknow / Stephen Markel with Tushara Bindu Gude ; and contributions by Muzaffar Alam ... [et al.]. Munich ;London: Prestel, Johann Gottlieb, c2010 Number: 9783791350752 (hbk.), 3791350757 (hbk.) cat. no. 84, cat. no. 226
  • Miller, Lesley Ellis, and Ana Cabrera Lafuente, with Claire Allen-Johnstone, eds. Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2021. ISBN 978-0-500-48065-6. This object features in the publication Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion (2021)
Collection
Accession number
IS.1:1-1999

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Record createdFebruary 3, 2000
Record URL
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