Textile Fragment

Unknown

mid-16th century · Silk, metal wrapped thread; lampas (kemha) · Islamic Art

Woven silk was an integral part of the Ottoman economy and an important trade item that yielded substantial revenue to the Ottoman treasury. It was also a sign of accumulated individual wealth and ranked alongside precious gems and metals as an indication of affluence. The choice of colors in this fragment is restricted to a blue ground with the pattern picked out in white, salmon pink, gold, and silver. The bold and forceful design of palmettes is softened by the graceful overlapping stem systems in the interstices. The palmettes, which form the heart of the ogival framework, are composed of three medallions: the innermost has a spiky outline with a tulip tree placed on a dotted ground, the middle one has a serrated edge anchoring an acanthus-type leaf facing the center, and the largest is decorated with palmette trees and a scalloped edge made of leaves.

Artist

Unknown

Date

mid-16th century

Medium

Silk, metal wrapped thread; lampas (kemha)

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1952