Rectangular Textile Fragment

Unknown

second half 16th century · Silk, metal wrapped thread; cut and voided velvet, brocaded · Islamic Art

Bursa, a mountainside city in northwest Anatolia about 60 kilometers from Istanbul, was from the mid-fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries the major production center of velvets in the Ottoman empire. This splendid panel, composed of two loom-width pieces sewn together, typifies Bursa velvet weaving in the late sixteenth century. The motifs, especially the feathery leaves embracing the artichokes, are among the most frequently used by Ottoman weavers (and ceramicists) in this period. Fabrics such as this one were primarily employed in furnishings, such as cushions, curtains, and wall hangings, in the Ottoman empire. The many examples exported to Europe, on the other hand, were most often used in ceremonial costumes.

Artist

Unknown

Date

second half 16th century

Medium

Silk, metal wrapped thread; cut and voided velvet, brocaded

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1917