The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 24, 2024
Floral striped silk on a golden ground
1600–1650
Location: not on view
Description
Twelve jewel-like colors of silk thread illustrate the vivacity of colors extolled in Iranian flowers on gilt- and silver-metal thread grounds. In a simplified seminaturalistic style, swaying branches support an exuberant array of blossoms in the Safavid tradition while the botanical accuracy of European prints inspired flora in varied angles and stages of maturity. Although celebrated in Iranian poetry for centuries, flowers were not featured in paintings and textiles until the 1640s, inspired by European herbals. This sturdy silk retains its radiant colors in contrast with many silks that have faded from excessive light exposure, especially the reds and pinks that were dyed with light-sensitive safflower dyestuff.- Dikran Kelekian, Paris; (Charles D. Kelekian, New York)
- Mackie, Louise W. Symbols of Power: Luxury Textiles from Islamic Lands, 7th-21st Century. Cleveland; New Haven: Cleveland Museum of Art; Yale University Press, 2015. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 380-381, fig. 9.40Highet, Juliet. "Silks from Islamic Lands." The Asian Art Newspaper: Monthly for Collectors, Dealers, Museums and Galleries 17, issue 5 (March 2014):16-18. 16
- Luxuriance: Silks from Islamic Lands, 1250-1900. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 14, 2013-June 23, 2014).
- {{cite web|title=Floral striped silk on a golden ground|url=false|author=|year=1600–1650|access-date=24 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2003.96