Textile Fragment with Flowers, Birds and Butterflies

Unknown

17th–18th century · Silk, metal wrapped thread; cut and voided velvet · Islamic Art

Seventeenth‑century silk velvets from the Safavid empire were popular commodities in Europe as well as the local market. Contemporary paintings and court chronicles show these rich fabrics as the desired material for clothing among Iranian aristocrats. This square fragment has four repetitions of a floral motif in a palette of blue, beige, and orange and may have lost some of its original bright colors over time.

Artist

Unknown

Date

17th–18th century

Medium

Silk, metal wrapped thread; cut and voided velvet

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1911