CARPETS
Sale N08038 lot 14
AN OTTOMAN SILK EMBROIDERED QUILT COVER (YORGAN YÜZÜ) PANEL, OTTOMAN EMPIRE,
New York 4,000—6,000 USD Session 1
16 Dec 04 10:15 AM
approximately 8ft. 4in. by 2ft.9in. (2.54 by 0.84m.)
early 17th century

Condition Note: embroidered on two panels, fabric mounted,

CATALOGUE NOTE
Quilt facings were produced from the 16th century to the beginning of the 19th century. At first they were worked on a fine linen ground whereas later examples were embroidered on a much coarser cotton ground. In Ottoman households beds were not static items of furniture with dedicated environments but were composed of several mattresses that were stacked away during the day. At night the quilts would be covered in the embroidered facings with more durable cloth being used on the underside of the quilts and tacked together to form slip-covers. From 1800 the yorgan yüzü were replaced by the bag-like two-faced quilt covers that remain in use today. Such large format embroideries are often described as curtains but contemporaneous curtains were composed of far stouter fabric such as damask or brocade in order to keep the harsh sun out of the Ottoman interiors. For a related yorgan yüzü from the Galveston Collection see: Erber, Christian (ed.), A Wealth of Silk and Velvet, Bremmen, 1993, p. 220, no. S 4/2.

JBOC Comments:

Seen on www.Sothebys.com