Lot 219
  • 219

AN OTTOMAN 'CINTAMANI' EMBROIDERED QUILT COVER OR CURTAIN, TURKEY, LATE 17TH CENTURY |

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • 144 by 234cm. approx.
embroidered silk, linen, mounted

Exhibited

Couleurs d’Orient, Brussels, 2010.
Turkophilia, Paris, 2011.

Literature

Brussels 2010, p.19. 
Paris 2011, p.56. 

Condition

Minor losses to the embroidery, some discoloration and various stains, we would advise to consult a professional textile restorer to obtain a more detailed report, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Featuring bright and highly pigmented blue and orange petals that alternate in colour across diagonal paths, this cover provides an apt example of a the 'cintamani' motif, a pattern which has been interpreted on a variety of media and resonates across the far East. For an example of pottery tiles with a similar motif, see Petsopoulos 1982, p.90 no.53. 

This style can be identified initially through its use of repeated tri-petal flowers that follow the 'cintamani' codex, and through the use of tight crochet techniques. An eighteenth-century example can also be found in ibid. p.144, no.156, where tri-petal flowers alternate with a similar diagonal ‘wave’ pattern. A cover of similar stylistic design is published in Erber 1993, pp.252-3, no.G10. A similar motif is also seen in the Royal Ontario Museum, inv. no. 941.22.236 (see Gervers 1982, p.116, fig.34).