Brocaded velvet cushion cover with carnations
Unknown Artist
late 1500s
Medium
velvet, brocaded: silk, gilt-and-silver-metal thread
Dimensions
128.9 × 66.7 cm · mounted: 136.5 × 74.3 cm
Classification
Velvet
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mrs. James Albert Ford, Leonard C. Hanna Jr., The John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, Mrs. Hermon A. Kelley, John D. Rockefeller Jr., Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance, Mrs. Harry Stratton, and J. H. Wade by exchange
Accession Number
1984.27
About this artwork
The six lappet designs on the top and bottom identify this textile as an Ottoman cushion cover for a royal divan, or sofa, used in the royal court. Its bold and graphic pattern is made up of carnations in three staggered rows. Carnations can be distinguished from other floral motifs by their sawtooth petals and serrated leaves.