Napkin
1850-1875 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
At the end of the 18th century embroidery designs began to develop into rigid and heavily stylised borders for towels and napkins. The colours of 18th and 19th century embroideries were originally very bright but many have faded to pleasing pastel shades; often great quantities of metal thread were used. Napkins were mainly used to clean fingers during meals, but were also used as decoration and as covers. Their designs were consistently inventive.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cotton, embroidered with silk in double running in variations and combinations, and with plate in satin stitch |
| Brief description | Towel or napkin, embroidered, Turkish, 1800s. |
| Physical description | Towel/Napkin, cotton embroidered with silk in double running in variations and combinations and with plate in satin stitch. Both ends have been decorated with a border of small repeating motifs: an abundant floral and leafy arrangement in a small bowl; the predominant colours are green and pink with gold. Below this is a very narrow border in which trees alternate with two stylised motifs, one of which is an upright sprig with one pink leaf and one green leaf. The ends and the lower part of the sides is edged with metal thread. One side has been cut and hemmed. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Subject depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | At the end of the 18th century embroidery designs began to develop into rigid and heavily stylised borders for towels and napkins. The colours of 18th and 19th century embroideries were originally very bright but many have faded to pleasing pastel shades; often great quantities of metal thread were used. Napkins were mainly used to clean fingers during meals, but were also used as decoration and as covers. Their designs were consistently inventive. |
| Bibliographic reference | Illustrated in 'Ottoman Embroidery' by Marianne Ellis and Jennifer Wearden (V&A Publications, 2001); plate 139 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 682-1877 |
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| Record created | January 9, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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