A linen cover embroidered with silk, Turkey, 17th century

Cover, linen embroidered with silk in surface darning on the diagonal over 3 threads and chain stitch (border).
The border consists of a green meandering stem with a small green leaf joining diagonal red flowers with a blue centre and a tulip in reserve; from the tip of the red flower and placed along the opposite diagonal is a blue leaf containing a red tulip. The field is decorated with blue parallel stems decorated internally by a red line with small white flowers (including pomegranates and tulips). Alternating from the left and the right of these stems are large red leaves, each containing a green stem with blue and white flowers: a carnation, tulips and pomegranates. In addition a green and red tulip and a green leaf with a small red and white tulip grow from the large stems.
There is no embroidered border along the lower edge - just a green band.
Three widths joined after being embroidered.

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. In the 17th century the main designs were based on wavy parallel stems which run along the length of the fabric.

T.129-1928