Plain weave cotton embroidered with silk in surface darning on the diagonal and running stitch backed with plain weave cotton. The top has been cut across the width and the upper border has been re-joined but part of the cover is missing. The design was drawn onto the back of the fabric with ink, but it was more elaborate than the pattern actually embroidered.
Directional design: the main motif is large, but now incomplete, 8-pointed star edged in white with a blue central field, except one corner which is light blue, containing a stylised tulip head in white, beige and light blue with infilling motifs. Either side is a crested, long tailed bird in similar colouring while above and below an artichoke form from which emerge two 'saz' leaves [serrated and feathery]. Similar artichoke/leaf forms are in the wide segments around the star shape, while the corner units are decorated with a large tulip head flanked either side by a small bird, mainly blue.
The border was wider but seems to have been reduced in width when the cover was backed. It is pieced and stitched onto the cover along two of the four sides. On a blue ground is a series of S-shaped half palmette leaves formed around a lozenge centre, alternately white and white or light blue with a beige centre. In between these is a small cartouche with a central dark red S-motif with two 'arms'.
All the motifs were originally outlined with black.
Embroidery threads: 2S silk; two shades of light blue, blue, green-blue, white, cream, beige, dark red, black.
Backing: plain weave cotton; machine stitching.
NOTE: there are distinctly Ottoman elements in the design. See also T.38-1940 and 545-1897 for similar designs.Middle East, Textile; Panel, silk-embroidered cotton, design of blue eight-pointed star with stylised tulips, birds and lotus flowers on cream ground, Azerbaijan or NW Iran, 1775-1800