Turkey, Istanbul or Bursa / 1525–75
Brocaded velvet cushion cover with crescents
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Brocaded velvet cushion cover with crescents as velvet (Turkey, Istanbul or Bursa · 1525–75).
A vertical crease down the center of the textile shows that in the past it was folded for an extended time.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this velvet as velvet, brocaded: silk, gilt- and silver-metal thread, and cotton.
The museum's collection notes: This cushion cover is one of the earliest and highest quality examples that has survived. The vibrant pattern displays large crescents inscribed with smaller crescents and elegant rosebuds on a leafy vine. The six-pointed lappet designs across each end identify its function as a cover for a cushion on a divan, the equivalent of a Western sofa. The elegant yet lively quality of the drawing, velvet weave, and dense metal thread indicate that it was made near the height of Ottoman silk textile production in the mid-1500s.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtBrocaded velvet cushion cover with crescentsOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.