Brocaded velvet with medallions in ogival lattice
Unknown Artist
late 1500s
Medium
Silk: velvet, brocaded; gilt- and silver-metal thread
Dimensions
162.6 × 65.4 cm · mounted: 165.1 × 68.6 cm
Classification
Velvet
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Norman O. Stone and Ella A. Stone Memorial Fund
Accession Number
2001.3
About this artwork
This luxurious velvet is similar to fabrics worn by Turkish sultans on elaborate ceremonial occasions at the imperial Topkapi Palace in Istanbul during the 1500s. Such bold patterns and high quality served to symbolize the immense power and unfathomable wealth of the Ottoman Empire. The design in this velvet was adapted from Ottoman court art and assembled to create lively contrasts between large motifs seen from a distance—medallion and lattice—and small designs that can only be admired up clos...