The ogival trellis motif on this silk velvet furnishing fabric is a direct imitation of an Italian design. However, the piece was made in the town of Bursa, in north-west Anatolia.
In the period 1400-1500, the weavers of Florence and Venice were the main producers of velvet for the Middle Eastern market. The Ottoman rulers established looms in Bursa in order to challenge Italian dominance. Over the following two centuries, weavers there produced velvets exhibiting marked Italian influence. Some velvets, like this one, mimicked Italian designs in their entirety.Velvet, large flower and scroll pattern in gold on crimson ground. Silk foundation with a cut silk pile and areas brocaded with metal threads; two widths of fabric joined.Panel composed of two loom widths of crimson velvet, voided and brocaded in gold and silver on a yellow satin ground