Turkey
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Objecttextile (towels, carpets, etc.): Fragment
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Type of arts & crafts
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MediumSilk, metal wrapped thread; lampas (kemha)
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SizeTextile: H. 24 in (61 cm) W. 26 1/2 in (67.3 cm) Mount: H. 28 5/8 in (72.7 cm) W. 31 6/8 in (80.6 cm) D. 7/8 in (2.2 cm)
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Geography detailsMade in
Town probably Istanbul,
Turkey -
Country today
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Datemid-16th century
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Type of sourceDatabase “Metropolitan Museum of Art”
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Fund that the source refers toMetropolitan Museum of Art
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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.