Barber's Apron

Unknown

late 18th century · Silk, metal-thread; weft-faced compound plain weave · Islamic Art

This oblong-shaped garment was likely used as a barber’s apron. The pattern of vertical stripes with carnations and composite flowers in various stages of bloom is rendered in an extraordinarily complex technique using luxurious metal threads, which suggests that the garment once belonged to a wealthy patron. The depiction of textiles with this distinct pattern in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Persian paintings has helped scholars date them.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 18th century

Medium

Silk, metal-thread; weft-faced compound plain weave

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of Islamic Art Gifts, 2013