Length of Woven Silk
c. 1575–1625
Medium
Silk, plain weave with plain interlacings of secondary binding warps and supplementary patterning wefts; two selvages present
Dimensions
170.9 × 61.5 cm (67 3/4 × 24 1/4 in.); Repeat: 33.3 × 17.1 cm (13 × 6 3/4 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
180788
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This textile features leafy vines clasped by crowns encircling floral palmettes to create a continuous network. Notably, both the crowns and the palmettes reverse orientation from one row to the next, ensuring that the fabric would never appear upside-down, whether it was used as a wall covering, furniture upholstery, or even a garment. Italian merchants bought Iranian raw silk in Bursa, at the western edge of the ancient trade route known as the Silk Road (in present-day Turkey). They sold the...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...