Towel

Art Historical Context

This exquisite 18th-century towel, crafted from cotton, silk, and metalrapped threads through meticulous embroidery, hails from the Islamic world and now graces the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Art department. Measuring an impressive 53¼ by 26¼ inches, it was likely used for personal hygiene or household rituals, such as in hammams (bathhouses), where fine textiles blended utility with artistry. Donated anonymously in 1949, it the everyday luxury of Islamic domestic life during a period of rich textile production across regions like the Ottoman Empire or Persia. The embroidery technique stand...