used
| - cutwork, 1800s, Persian (en)
- plain weave cotton, cut work bound with woven silk, some applique, with a cotton interlining and small decorative tabs of resist-dyed [ikat] silk, block printed cotton and woven wool.
A large arched form has been delineated on a rust brown plain weave cotton ground by a narrow applied band of bias-cut cream cotton. Inside this arch a repeat pattern of large and small rosettes have been cut out, and then each 'petal' bound in bias-cut plain weave silk in light and dark blue, green or cream to form a geometric grid of large green with white rosettes or small dark blue and white ones, all edged in light blue.
The small rosette motif is repeated around the arch exterior as a frame leaving the two spandrels undecorated. Along the top edge, a 4 cm deep band of striped printed cotton, resist and block printed, predominantly white, red, beige and light blue ground with small floral motifs or meanders.
The whole looks like a coloured/stained glass window. The outside edge is bound with faded pink plain weave silk. The interlining is heavy, coarse plain weave cotton. The backing is an warp ikat silk, dyed to shape, in white, light blue, red and pink [light pink weft].
Along the top edge on the reverse is sewn a series of small lined triangular tabs leaving two sides free - these are in a variety of silks, printed cottons, woollen 'shawl' fabric and one cotton fabric is also used for the central loop and the two side loops. This panel was reversible and could be viewed from both sides. (en)
|