woven silk, 1800-1850, Persian; BirdsCover of woven silk and metal thread, bordered with woven silk and metal thread and cut, voided silk velvet and metal thread, backed with block printed cotton and faced with woven silk.
The main fabric is unfaded at the top and where a label has previously been. Red satin ground with offset rows of a flower with a bird. The bird has a hooked beak and a blue bird on a blue flower, possibly a carnation, alternates with a brown bird on a white flower. The birds face in the opposite direction in alternate rows. The body has each bird is worked with metal thread, which is silver strip close S-wound on an orange silk core.
The side and end borders are dark blue satin with an isolated pattern of a flower, 2 buds and leaves woven with metal thread which is silver strip open S-wound on a yellow silk core.
The square corner panels of the border are light pink cut velvet on a voided ground woven with a gilt strip used as a weft. The pattern has a flowerhead of 4 petals with a pair of curved leaves above and below, alternating with a flower, stem and leaves.
Backing: pieced; red ground printed with a diagonal pattern of short, brown, curved lines linking brown dots.
Facing: bias cut; rose pink satin.