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Sash

1840-1875 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Woven silk and metal thread.
There is part of the central section of a sash with an integral end border along the top. An end border has been stitched along the bottom and a side border has been added on either side. The main part has a gold ground [silver-gilt strip open S-wound on a yellow silk core] with offset rows of botehs facing the opposite direction in opposite rows. They are mainly green, blue and light red with white details. There is an integral side border on either side: 3 narrow gold ground bands with red or green spots; 2 bands with a green leafy meander and white flowers and a main band with a red carnation in profile alternating with a blue star-like flower with 2 pairs of angular green leaves almost forming a square around the carnation. This combination of bands, but large and elongated, appears below the end border and above it but part is missing.
The end border has a gold ground. There are 5 downward facing sprays, each rising from a silver vase standing on a dish [silver strip open S-wound on a white silk core]; there is a semi-circle of red tri-lobed motifs and white flowrheads above each vase, then a vertical stem with a central blue flower, 2 pairs of pink flowers and a large fan-shaped carnation at the top. The left hand side of the left hand motif is squashed-in.
A narrow border of the same combination of designs as the integral border has been added to either side. The added end border along the bottom is similar to the integral top end border, but is slightly different: the markings on the dish are more pronounced; mauve is used instead of white in the semi-circle of flowers; these five motifs are 26 cm high and those in the top border are only 23.5 cm high. This means that the lower end border was probably originally from another sash. The pattern is very popular.
In the outer, added, border at the bottom right hand side are two sections which seem very faded - no obvious explanation suggests itself to me.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
silk thread, metal thread, weaving, sewing
Brief description
Middle East, Textile; woven silk, 1700s, Persian
Physical description
Woven silk and metal thread.
There is part of the central section of a sash with an integral end border along the top. An end border has been stitched along the bottom and a side border has been added on either side. The main part has a gold ground [silver-gilt strip open S-wound on a yellow silk core] with offset rows of botehs facing the opposite direction in opposite rows. They are mainly green, blue and light red with white details. There is an integral side border on either side: 3 narrow gold ground bands with red or green spots; 2 bands with a green leafy meander and white flowers and a main band with a red carnation in profile alternating with a blue star-like flower with 2 pairs of angular green leaves almost forming a square around the carnation. This combination of bands, but large and elongated, appears below the end border and above it but part is missing.
The end border has a gold ground. There are 5 downward facing sprays, each rising from a silver vase standing on a dish [silver strip open S-wound on a white silk core]; there is a semi-circle of red tri-lobed motifs and white flowrheads above each vase, then a vertical stem with a central blue flower, 2 pairs of pink flowers and a large fan-shaped carnation at the top. The left hand side of the left hand motif is squashed-in.
A narrow border of the same combination of designs as the integral border has been added to either side. The added end border along the bottom is similar to the integral top end border, but is slightly different: the markings on the dish are more pronounced; mauve is used instead of white in the semi-circle of flowers; these five motifs are 26 cm high and those in the top border are only 23.5 cm high. This means that the lower end border was probably originally from another sash. The pattern is very popular.
In the outer, added, border at the bottom right hand side are two sections which seem very faded - no obvious explanation suggests itself to me.
Dimensions
  • Length: 110cm
  • Width: 75.5cm
Bibliographic reference
Illustrated in 'Iranian Textiles' by Jennifer Wearden and Patricia L Baker, V&A Publishing 2010 plate 9 page 89.
Collection
Accession number
960-1889

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Record createdMay 11, 2009
Record URL
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