Brocaded silk with foliate medallions from a kaftan
Unknown Artist
1525–75
Medium
Silk: lampas weave, silver-metal thread
Dimensions
105.7 × 49.5 cm · mounted: 110.5 × 54.6 cm
Classification
Textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1924.741
About this artwork
Medallions enriched with floral and foliate decoration were signature Ottoman patterns during the height of silk textile production in the second half of the 1500s. Imperial kaftans with related patterns are preserved in the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul along with those worn by young princes. In this splendid length from a kaftan, abundant silver-thread flora and overlapping leaves on vines enliven medallions in the densely woven fabric. It is a combination of two weaves, called lampas, whi...