Textile, cover, floral design, block printed, mordant-dyed and resist-dyed and painted, possibly Machilipatnam (acquired in Iran), ca. 1880

Cotton cover, mordant-dyed, resist-dyed, block printed and painted cotton, central floral medallion surrounded by trailing plants and borders of buta and flowering plants, and peacocks and other birds amongst the plants. Complete piece.

Purchased from Sidney Churchill

Purchased for the Museum by Robert Murdoch Smith, from Sidney Churchill in Tehran, this was acquired as a batch of fourteen carpets and carpet fragments and ten specimens of qalamkari printed cotton. Murdoch Smith wrote: "Among the articles are a number of carpets and pieces of carpets of the 17th century and earlier date (some as early as the end of the 15th century or beginning of the 16th century) which will, I think, form a valuable addition to the Museum collection. Some of the best specimens - small pieces, not whole carpets - were got from the rufuqir or darners of worn and torn carpets in the Teheran bazaar."

This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project

Intended for use as a cover, for domestic use.

162-1884