Adopt-A-Textile Adopted

Comments: The combination of Ottoman Turkish and Persian motifs suggest the panel once belonged to Iranian Sufis living in Turkey sometime in the late 19th century. This large rectangular panel is made of olive green silk satin and is embroidered with the image of a large central mosque located within a rectangular frame.  The frame is approx. 5' wide and is filled with embroidered Arabic script and flowering vines; script and flowers are done in satin stitch in pastels and off-white cotton; the ground is filled in with chain stitched gold metal thread.  Hanging from the center of the mosque's dome is a large basin-shaped lamp.  The mosque has two spires, located on either side of the central dome.  Directly under each spire and within the mosque is a cypress tree ('tree of Allah').  Both the space within the mosque and sky above are filled with motifs of floating flowers, clouds, moons, paisleys and stars.  The backside of the silk satin is a dark blue-grey.  Top and bottom edges have a rolled hem, left and right are selvedges.  A metal wrapped cotton thread is used to crochet the trim sewn to the four edges.

Bibliography List
This object has the following bibliographic references:

• Pauline Johnstone. Turkish Embroidery. Victoria and Albert Museum. London , 1985. Page Number: 51,59.
• Patricia Baker. Islamic Textiles. British Museum Press. London , 1995. Page Number: 151.
• Margaret Gentles. Turkish and Greek Island Embroideries. Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL , 1964. Page Number: 17.