Cover

Square cover of silk brocade woven with metal and metal-wrapped thread; nearly all of the metal has worn off. Field patterned with a floral ogival lattice design. Each cartouche frames a single bunch of three irises in a manner typical of the Persianate style. Ground of faded red exposed warp floats; lattice woven with silver-wrapped white thread (most of the silver has worn off); flowers composed of white and light blue threads; stems and leaves of yellow-green and green. The cover has been stitched together in multiple pieces, as has the attached border. The border is a floral stripe design typical of the Persianate style woven in silk and metal-wrapped brocade. These silk brocades were a specialty of Kashan and Isfahan in Iran (Persia) dating back to at least the seventeenth century. Used primarily for luxury garments, they were often repurposed into decorative covers. This cover has been backed with brown cloth and faced with a satin-weave striped silk brocaded with metal-wrapped threads in floral motifs. Main stripes are red and green, with pin stripes of olive green framed in yellow. Related objects in the Penn Museum: A581, A583, A584, A585, A587, A588, A590, A592. Square with a central panel in orange with floral patterns in blue, pink, green and yellow. Borders on four sides made from cut pieces of brown fabric with flowers in white, blue, orange, green and yellow. Brown backing with border of red and green diagonal stripes with flowers in blue and yellow.