embroidered, 1800s, PersianOval mat of cotton velvet, cut pile, embroidered with couched metal thread and embroidered with silk in straight stitches; edged with a metal thread lace and backed with plain weave silk.
The ground is light brown velvety. In the centre is a 'gold' 8-pointed star with a central roundel qand a circle of red silk dots outlines in silver. The dots may be chenille thread; they are unlike the rest of the coloured embroidery which is flat. Each point of the star ends with a blue trefoil. The star is surrounded by an 8-pointed line decorated with small inward pointing pink trefoils and outward pointing green, yellow and pink trefoil. Each point of the line ends with either a 'gold' flower head in profile couched to create a basket-weave effect or a 3-petalled flower head in pink, light blue , yellow and black with metal thread basket-weave leaves. There are coloured silk and metal thread flower and leaf groups filling the spaces between the main motifs. Isolated pink flowers and coloured leaves form a border around the edge.
Embroidery threads: silk: black Z-twist; yellow, pink, light blue, dark green, blue, light green all 2S.
Metal threads: silver strip close S-wound on Z-twist white silk core; silver-gilt close S-wound on Z-twist white silk core.
The stems and outlines have been worked over laid white silk threads to create a raised effect.
An edging has been added: it seems to be braided metal thread with a crochet border along one side.
Backing: pieced, dark reed plain weave silk.