Ottoman Embroidery

193 x 130 cm (6' 4" x 4' 3") Turkey, 17th century Condition: very good for its age, partially corroded brown, scattered small repairs, signs of use Silk on cotton In Turkey, embroidery was more deeply embedded in everyday life than in almost any other country. There were embroidered wallets, hand towels, bath towels, bed sheets for circumcision ceremonies, belts, pillows, tablecloths, gift cloths, turban covers, and even barber's capes - all exquisitely embroidered with silk or metallic threads. Large white-ground embroideries, which were used as bedspreads or wall hangings, have always been in high demand on the art market. A watercolor in the Austrian National Library, Codex Vindobonensis, No. 8626, fol. 116r, dating from around 1590, illustrates their use beautifully; see Sumru Belger Krody, "Flowers of Silk & Gold," p. 75. Some of these embroideries feature upward-reaching tendrils adorned with flowers. In our piece, they are wonderfully swaying tulips, with a small sprig of flowers inserted into each bloom. A botanically accurate depiction was obviously not the intention here. Rather, the aim was to heighten the sensory impression and evoke a lush paradise garden. The large tulips are accompanied by smaller yellow and blue tulips with green stems. Quite similar depictions can be found on two Ottoman embroideries in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Inv. No. T.44-1940 and Inv. No. 121-1899. Both pieces are also illustrated in Marianne Ellis and Jennifer Wearden, "Ottoman Embroideries," V&A Publications, 2001, pp. 38-39. Estimate: € 40000 - 60000 Starting bid: € 24000

Estimation:€40,000

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