A linen shaving robe embroidered with silk, Turkey, 16th/17th century

Shaving robe, linen embroidered with silk in double darning on the diagonal, double running in a line (now worn) and satin stitch.
This almost square cloth has a semi-circular piece cut from the middle of the top edge. This would be placed around the customer's neck and has been edged with a fine red border. The field is decorated with a pattern of offset medallions within a fine lattice of delicate floral sprigs in red, green and white. Each medallion is defined by a line of blue and then a line of serrated, red leaves. In the centre is a red and white flower with a pair of blue and red leaves above and below and smaller red and white flowers around. The base of each medallion is formed by a green stalk and at the top the medallion opens out around a small spray of red and white flowers and green leaves.
Made from two pieces joined horizontally.

This cloth has a semi-circular hole cut in the middle of the top edge. This allowed it to be placed around the customer's neck while he was being shaved.
The oldest Ottoman embroideries in the V&A date from the 16th or 17th centuries. They are either whole covers and wall hangings or fragments of them. They are decorated with large-scale, bold designs in red, blue, green and yellow, with some white and black. The oldest patterns, such as this, are formed by the curving lines of a lattice. In this example, the lattice is a delicate floral trail.

T.150-1912