Velvet
1550-1599 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Silk velvet with floral patterns was a speciality of Ottoman Turkey. In the 16th and 17th centuries, textile workers created a rich variety of complicated designs. In this case, the realistic tulips, carnations and hyacinths help to date this piece. It must have been made after the 1550s, when this type of natural floral pattern was introduced.
Here, the weaver worked with crimson pile and yellow pile. The pattern is based on staggered rows of medallions, which are framed by vines set with flowers. The design is regular but you can see subtle changes of detail. For example, the arrangement of the flowers that fill the medallions alternates between rows. A row of rosettes with pointed petals surrounded by hyacinth blossoms is followed by a row of rosettes with rounded petals surrounded by carnations.
Here, the weaver worked with crimson pile and yellow pile. The pattern is based on staggered rows of medallions, which are framed by vines set with flowers. The design is regular but you can see subtle changes of detail. For example, the arrangement of the flowers that fill the medallions alternates between rows. A row of rosettes with pointed petals surrounded by hyacinth blossoms is followed by a row of rosettes with rounded petals surrounded by carnations.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk solid-pile velvet |
| Brief description | velvet, 1600s, Turkish |
| Physical description | Length of red and gold velvet |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Object history | Purchased in Istanbul in 1897 from Mrs Alice Whitaker, daughter and heir of William Henry Wrench (1836-96). Wrench was British consul in the city when he died, and he had formed a significant collection of Ottoman and Iranian objects while in the consular service. For images of how Wrench displayed his collection in his home in the Pera (Beyoğlu) district of the city, see V&A: PH.331 to 334-1892. |
| Summary | Silk velvet with floral patterns was a speciality of Ottoman Turkey. In the 16th and 17th centuries, textile workers created a rich variety of complicated designs. In this case, the realistic tulips, carnations and hyacinths help to date this piece. It must have been made after the 1550s, when this type of natural floral pattern was introduced. Here, the weaver worked with crimson pile and yellow pile. The pattern is based on staggered rows of medallions, which are framed by vines set with flowers. The design is regular but you can see subtle changes of detail. For example, the arrangement of the flowers that fill the medallions alternates between rows. A row of rosettes with pointed petals surrounded by hyacinth blossoms is followed by a row of rosettes with rounded petals surrounded by carnations. |
| Bibliographic reference | Nurhan Atasoy and others, Ipek. The Crescent & the Rose. Imperial Ottoman Silks and Velvets, London: Azimuth Editions, 2001, pl.77, and fig.333. Technical analysis on pp.335-6. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 355-1897 |
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| Record created | February 3, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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