Cushion cover

This luxuriously woven silk cloth was made to be used as a cushion cover. The repeated floral motif uses a stylised carnation pattern in gold thread set against a rich red velvet ground. Seven carnations are woven into three horizontal rows, yet some flowers are truncated, meaning, they have been cut by the cloth's border. Each carnation is outlined in green, highlighting the delicate detailing of the flower's serrated edges, petals, and leaves. A frieze of stylized floral sprays set within arches decorates the top and bottom of the cloth. This richly contrasting cushion cover would have served as an important part of the interior furnishings used to decorate an Ottoman room. Dating from the 11th century AH/17th century CE, this cloth was probably produced in the Turkish city of Bursa, which developed into an important textile industry under the Ottomans.