About this artwork
The lustrous silk threads in this embroidered towel evoke the light and color of a garden in summer. The Ottomans were known for their love of flowers. Roses, carnations , hyacinths, irises, and tulips bloomed in magnificant gardens along the Bosporus. Flowers adorned luxury objects and were a popular subject for embroidery. Embroiderers—both men and women—worked from designs drawn onto the ground (or base) fabrics, creating endless variety in the patterns by carefully choosing different threads and stitches.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Textiles
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Title
- Towel
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Place
- Turkey (Object made in)
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Date
- Made 1800–1850
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Medium
- Cotton, plain weave; embroidered with silk, metal strip, and metal-strip-wrapped silk
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Dimensions
- 198.6 × 67 cm (78 1/8 × 26 3/8 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Burton Y. Berry
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Reference Number
- 1953.87
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/79200/manifest.json