Woven Silk
1550-1599 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This reversible silk is a variation of the Ottoman version of cloth of gold. This was known as a 'seraser', which means 'end to end', because the metal thread ran the full width of the cloth. The design is arranged in bands, which combine gold with one of three colours - blue, deep red and tan. The bands contain patterns based on wavy vines of different types. For example, one is based on a grape vine, and another on a lily plant. Between them are narrower bands containing simpler repeat patterns, which are bounded by multiple fillets. This type of realistic flower decoration, which allows us to identify such flowers as the lilies, dates the silk to the period after the 1550s.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Woven silk and gilt metal thread |
Brief description | 1700s, Turkish |
Physical description | Piece of woven silk |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Summary | This reversible silk is a variation of the Ottoman version of cloth of gold. This was known as a 'seraser', which means 'end to end', because the metal thread ran the full width of the cloth. The design is arranged in bands, which combine gold with one of three colours - blue, deep red and tan. The bands contain patterns based on wavy vines of different types. For example, one is based on a grape vine, and another on a lily plant. Between them are narrower bands containing simpler repeat patterns, which are bounded by multiple fillets. This type of realistic flower decoration, which allows us to identify such flowers as the lilies, dates the silk to the period after the 1550s. |
Collection | |
Accession number | 648-1894 |
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Record created | February 13, 2003 |
Record URL |
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