Kerchief
1800-1899 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A kerchief is a square cloth with a narrow decorative border along all four sides. People used them on their heads or shoulders or tied them around their hips.
At the end of the 18th century embroidery designs began to develop into rigid and heavily stylised borders for towels and napkins. The colours are strong and embroiderers used greater quantities of metal thread. The designs were always inventive. The colours in some 19th century embroideries were originally very bright but they have faded to pleasing pastel shades.
At the end of the 18th century embroidery designs began to develop into rigid and heavily stylised borders for towels and napkins. The colours are strong and embroiderers used greater quantities of metal thread. The designs were always inventive. The colours in some 19th century embroideries were originally very bright but they have faded to pleasing pastel shades.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cotton, embroidered with silk and metal thread in double running stitch variations and combinations, musabak and square eyelets, and with metal thread in double running stitch variations and combinations |
| Brief description | A cotton kerchief embroidered with silk and metal thread, Turkey, 19th century |
| Physical description | Kerchief, cotton embroidered with silk in double running stitch variations and combinations, musabak and square eyelets and with metal thread in double running stitch variations and combinations. The repeated motif is a stylised scene: an irregualr bown shape may represent water (a lake or pond); on the far side is a central red tree (in blossom?). To either side of this is a building (a kiosk?) and a cypress tree. All four sides have been hemmed and then trimmed with a metal thread lace in which a gold scallop alternates with a silver one. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Given by Mr Lionel Harris |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | A kerchief is a square cloth with a narrow decorative border along all four sides. People used them on their heads or shoulders or tied them around their hips. At the end of the 18th century embroidery designs began to develop into rigid and heavily stylised borders for towels and napkins. The colours are strong and embroiderers used greater quantities of metal thread. The designs were always inventive. The colours in some 19th century embroideries were originally very bright but they have faded to pleasing pastel shades. |
| Bibliographic reference | Illustrated in 'Ottoman Embroidery' by Marianne Ellis and Jennifer Wearden (V&A Publication, 2001); plate 46 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.746-1923 |
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| Record created | February 1, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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