The Ottomans used luxurious silk textiles for furnishings and for men’s and women’s clothing. The most prestigious were velvet and complex silk weaves called kemha and seraser. These often incorporated thread wrapped with silver or silver gilt.
The main centre for silk-weaving was Bursa in north-west Anatolia in Turkey. The industry was established there in the 15th century, largely to compete with Italian imports. The two most popular designs were the curved lattice, and rows of stylised flowers or stars. Originally introduced to Turkey from Italy, they gradually evolved into the dramatic, large-scale patterns associated with the Ottoman court. In this velvet the basic design, with large motifs in staggered rows, is derived from Italian models, but the stylised carnations are unmistakably Ottoman.