Towel End
Unknown Artist
early 19th century
Medium
Linen, silk; plain weave, embroidered
Dimensions
H. 36 in. (91.4 cm) W. 27 1/2 in. (69.9 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Anonymous Gift, 1879
Accession Number
79.1.292
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite "Towel End" the early 19th exemplifies the refined textile arts of the Islamic world. Crafted linen with silk embroidery on a plain weave foundation, it measures an impressive 36 by 27½ inches, making it a substantial decorative panel likely intended for the end of a ceremonial or household towel. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Islamic Art—thanks to an anonymous gift in 1879 piece highlights the everyday luxury woven into domestic life during the Ottoman or related Islamic traditions. The embroidery features delicate floral motifs, a hallmark of Is...