Silk Fragment thumbnail 1
Silk Fragment thumbnail 2
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Silk Fragment

1550-1600 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Turkey (made)
Bursa

Silk damask fragment, with ogival lattice pattern of cream lobed medallions containing crimson red triple-dots and tiger stripes, reserved against red ground. The spots and stripes are stylised representations of leopard and tiger skins, and may be the pattern referred to as pelenk (meaning leopard) in Ottoman sources.

Object details

Categories
Textiles
Islam
Object type
Silk fragment
Materials and techniques
Red and cream silk damask
Silk Damask
Damask
Brief description
Silk damask fragment, with ogival lattice pattern of cream lobed medallions containing red triple-dots and tiger stripes, reserved against red ground, probably Bursa, Ottoman Turkey, 1550-1600
Physical description
Silk damask fragment, with ogival lattice pattern of cream lobed medallions containing crimson red triple-dots and tiger stripes, reserved against red ground. The spots and stripes are stylised representations of leopard and tiger skins, and may be the pattern referred to as pelenk (meaning leopard) in Ottoman sources.
Style
Ottoman
Gallery label
(20/09/2012)
Jameel Gallery

Animal Pelt Designs
Pairs of wavy lines and groups of three large dots represent the pelts of the striped tiger and spotted leopard. In the Islamic world, the designs acquired powerful associations. The Iranian hero Rustam, for example, is usually depicted wearing a tiger-skin coat.

By 1500, these designs were popular on Ottoman Turkish textiles, and were often combined. They soon appeared in other media, such as tilework.

The triple-dot design has been confused with the Buddhist ‘precious jewel’ motif (Sanskrit cintamani), which is sometimes shown in groups of three. But there is no connection.

4 Silk Fragment
Turkey, probably Bursa
1550–1600
Silk damask
Museum no. 1071-1900
Subjects depicted
Tiger Stripes
Leopard Spots
Collection
Middle East Section
Accession number
1071-1900

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Record createdApril 17, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O225491/silk-fragment-unknown/
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