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Ottoman linen sampler

Image attached to T.1-1956

An image of Sampler. Unknown maker, Ottoman Turkey. Embroidered with polychrome silks, covered with motifs , both naturalistic and inscriptions, including lower vases, sprays, trees, kiosks, a jug and a boat, flowers sprays and Arabic verses.
The sampler is covered with motifs, and the work can be divided into two distinctive categories, one of lightly stitched randomly placed motifs, the other heavier work depicting naturalistic motifs, corner and band patterns and a largely indecipherable inscription. The light, linear motifs include flower vases, sprays, trees, kiosks, a jug and a boat as well as imported Western European patterns such as the beribboned flower sprays. Amongst the other more densely worked traditional patterns, such as the confronting parrots and the asymmetric flower motifs, various non-Ottoman elements have been incorporated, for example the small-scale rosebud border repeat patterns and a tree trunk apparently sprouting acorns. Linen embroidered with polychrome silks in double running, compound double running, eyelet and single faggot stitch. Two edges are hemmed and there is a selvedge at the top and bottom. Length 85.5 cm, width 44.5 cm, after 1700 to before 1800. Production Note: the sampler is possibly the work of two individuals.

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About this image

Sampler. Unknown maker, Ottoman Turkey. Embroidered with polychrome silks, covered with motifs , both naturalistic and inscriptions, including lower vases, sprays, trees, kiosks, a jug and a boat, flowers sprays and Arabic verses. The sampler is covered with motifs, and the work can be divided into two distinctive categories, one of lightly stitched randomly placed motifs, the other heavier work depicting naturalistic motifs, corner and band patterns and a largely indecipherable inscription. The light, linear motifs include flower vases, sprays, trees, kiosks, a jug and a boat as well as imported Western European patterns such as the beribboned flower sprays. Amongst the other more densely worked traditional patterns, such as the confronting parrots and the asymmetric flower motifs, various non-Ottoman elements have been incorporated, for example the small-scale rosebud border repeat patterns and a tree trunk apparently sprouting acorns. Linen embroidered with polychrome silks in double running, compound double running, eyelet and single faggot stitch. Two edges are hemmed and there is a selvedge at the top and bottom. Length 85.5 cm, width 44.5 cm, after 1700 to before 1800. Production Note: the sampler is possibly the work of two individuals.

Image data

  • Accession Number: T.1-1956
  • Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
  • Aperture: f/16.0
  • Focal length: 50
  • Camera: Hasselblad H3DII-31
  • Photographer name: Katie Young
  • Image height: 1024 pixels
  • Image width: 558 pixels
  • Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.0 (Windows)
  • Filesize: 615.91kB
  • Exposure time: 1/90
  • ISO Speed: 200
  • Fnumber: 16/1

Key words

18th Century Arabic birds boats double running stitch embroidered embroidery eyelet stitch faggot stitch Fitz_AA floral flower vase flowers hemmed kiosks linen motif motif sampler motifs Ottoman poets polychrome running stitch sampler script selvedge silk silks spray sprays stitched stitches stitching textile texts trees Turkish vase verses

Colours in this image

rgb(201,175,147), rgb(251,251,251), rgb(130,103,76), rgb(146,130,110), rgb(110,115,107), rgb(224,203,181), rgb(166,130,102), rgb(176,142,106), rgb(96,99,95), rgb(239,222,198), rgb(236,205,169)

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The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Ottoman linen sampler" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/image/media-486291458 Accessed: 2024-03-29 13:08:48

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