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Lot Essay
Unlike the numerous known examples of Safavid figural brocades and even velvets, this rare embroidery panel belongs to a group of which only few examples appear to have survived. It has been possible to list twelve comparable embroideries of which eleven appear to have been published.
1.Panel with repeated horse rider, Shrine of Imam 'Ali, Mehmet Aga-Oglu, Safawid rugs and textiles, The Collection of the Shrine of the Imam 'Ali at al-Najaf, New York, 1941, pl. 24.
2.Panel with repeated Khusraw and Shirin, as above, Aga-Oglu, op.cit., pl.25.
3.Panel with repeated standing figures, birds and other animals, as above, Aga-Oglu, op.cit., pl.26.
4.Panel with musician and listener, Victoria and Albert Museum, Leigh Ashton, Brief guide to the Persian embroideries - Victoria and Albert Museum - Department of Textiles. London, 1937, pl.10.
5.Panel with repeated musician and listener, Cairo Museum of Islamic Art, Gaston Wiet, Exposition d'Art Persan, Cairo, 1935, pl.XI.
6.Panel with Yusuf and Zulaykha (60.5 x 65.6cm.), 16th century, Textile Museum in Washington, Carol Bier (ed.), Woven from the soul, spun from the heart, Washington, 1987, p.181, cat.23.
7.Panel from the previous embroidery (6.), 16th century, Musée des art décoratifs in Paris, Rémi Labrusse (dir.), Purs Décors, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 2007, p.338, cat.157.
8.Panel with repeated standing figures (2.35 x 2.18m), Berlin Museum, dated end of 17th century, F. Sarre and F.R. Martin, Meisterwerke Muhammedanischer Kunst, London, 1987, pl.208.
9.A coat with enthroned princes and attendants, Museum of Arts and Industry in Vienna, attributed to Kashan, circa 1600, F. Sarre and F.R. Martin, op.cit., pl.207 (dated here 1550-1650).
10.Embroidery on dark ground, mentioned by Ian Bennett in his discussion of the previous coat (9.), National Museum of Stockholm, possibly late 17th century, Ian Bennett, 'The Emperors Old Carpets', in Hali, Summer 1986, 31, p.19.
11.Panel with scenes from the Shahnama (90 x 87cm.), Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris, 17th century, Rémi Labrusse (dir.), Purs Décors, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 2007, p.177, cat.162
12.Small medallion with horseman, 18th century, State Hermitage Museum, Iran in the Hermitage, Formation of the Collection, St Petersburg, 2004, p.164, cat.209
The examples listed above can be divided in two main groups according to their decoration. Embroideries of the first group show figurative compositions conceived on a large scale which, although repeating, are not strictly contained within the borders of a medallion or those of a narrow band. The coat in Vienna with the enthroned princes, the panel in Paris with the scenes from the Shahnama and that in the Textile Museum in Washington are from this group. They can be compared to a remarkable silk appliqué panel depicting a courtly scene in the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest, dated 1525-50 ((Hunt for Paradise, Court Arts of Iran 1501-1576, London, 2003, p.294-5, cat.12.18).
The second group includes our panel and most of the other examples. The decorative composition is organized with repeating medallions of various shapes (circular, square or cusped), each containing small figural scenes, or sometimes longer stripes containing repeated motifs. Medallions and stripes are positioned at various angles in a way that it is often difficult to think of a direction for the display. This group includes, among others, the three panels in the Shrine of Imam 'Ali in Najaf, the panel in Cairo and that in Berlin. The large size of the panel in Berlin, which measures 2.13 x 2.18m, probably indicates that it was made for display. Although we do not know the measurements of the other pieces, most seem to be large and intended for display.
The decorative layout of these embroideries does not follow a particular direction. The rectangular panels in Berlin, Cairo and Najaf show a central field bordered with angled bands forming a chevron layout. The disposition of the figures, that of the medallions in the central panel or within the borders does not follow a unique direction - vertical or horizontal - but combines various angles. A long rectangular 16th century silk tapestry in Munich is mirrored along the two horizontal and vertical middle lines and it is only the relatively small but central peri that gives the main direction (Hunt for Paradise, op.cit., p.305, cat.12.24). It is possible that this embroidery was used as the central field of a larger panel. The central field of the panel in Berlin is composed of medallions of various shapes which are set at various angles. However, the panel in Cairo suggests that our embroidery could also have been used in a border. As Jon Thomson indicates in Hunt for Paradise, panels were often made in sections that were then sewn together and it is not impossible that embroiders experimented their inventiveness through variations in the layout.
This embroidery is decorated with seated peris and men wearing the batoned headdress (taj), standing on both sides of a cypress tree; motifs that are found in various media in contemporary works. The question of the designing of these motifs is interesting. The existence of a single atelier, a royal naqqash khaneh, creating motifs which would have been used by craftsmen, has not been demonstrated in Safavid Iran and seems to be rather an Ottoman trait (Jon Thompson, in Hunt for Paradise, op.cit, p. 278-9). The relative sketchiness of these embroideries probably indicates that the motifs were not drawn directly from existing cartoons but inspired from contemporary designs in other media. Paintings could have been the source of inspiration. The theme of Yusuf and Zulaykha decorating one of the embroideries in Najaf is found for instance on a lacquer binding in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, dated 1559-60 (Hunts for Paradise, p.200, cat.7.15). Contemplating illustrated books was the privilege of the elite however and it is likely that carpets and figural textiles provided a more accessible source of inspiration as they were more commonly displayed, worn and shown to the public.
Two velvet panels in the Keir Collection support this idea. A velvet medallion panel dated circa 1600 is decorated with Shirin bathing and Khusraw on horseback watching her, in a similar composition to that repeated on one of the Najaf embroideries (Friedrich Spuhler, Islamic Carpets and Textiles in the Keir Collection, London, 1978, p.170, No.95). Although of much finer quality, a second panel, datable to the mid-16th century, is decorated with staggered rows of peris seated on small carpets on foliate ground and can be closely paralleled to our embroidery (Friedrich Sphuler, op.cit, p.165, No.92).
The similarity in the decoration of these embroideries suggests that some of them were probably made in related ateliers, or even a single atelier. Our embroidery can be closely paralleled with the three examples in Shrine of Imam 'Ali. The motif of the bird, for instance, is particularly similar on the Najaf panel with standing men. The medallions with standing men on our panel are also very close to those visible on the panels in Cairo and in Berlin. The stylization or relative sketchiness of the motifs, particularly that of the foliage in the background, is worthy of note. This is a feature which is found on all the embroideries and which cannot be explained only by the roughness of the embroidery technique. As none of these examples are dated, it is very difficult to date them precisely. Decorative elements such as the taj worn by the men visible in this embroidery became unfashionable by the early 17th century. When published, most examples are dated "16th/17th century" but the comparisons with the examples mentioned above make a date of the second half of the 16th century more probable.
One of the most interesting features of these embroideries is the featureless faces. Some, like that in the Musée des Arts décoratifs or the coat in Vienna, show remains of facial details which are however sketchily drawn and could have been later added. The others however, like the Berlin panel or the Munich silk tapestry, have blank faced figures. Thompson suggests, after having examined another tapestry formerly in the Museüm für angewandte Kunst in Vienna, that faces were finely drawn with black ink, very probably just after the textiles were completed (Hunt for Paradise, op.cit, p.306). The ink would have faded or corroded with time and would no longer be visible on most panels. As a number of these embroideries adorned the shrine of 'Ali in Najaf, the featureless faces could also possibly be seen as an effect of the religious ban on complete figural representation.
The fact that some of these embroideries were kept in Najaf, the most revered place of Shi'i Islam, with the most luxurious donations, suggests that they were considered as important despite their apparent sketchiness. There intended use is enigmatic; were they made for display only, or intended as tomb covers? The peris decorating the panel could suggest a funerary context, also supported by the Shrine context. It is believed that winged female figures, the houris, will wait upon the devout Muslim at his death. A late 16th century silk tomb cover from the Shrine of the Imam Reza is bordered with seated peris (Anthony Welch, Shah 'Abbas and the Arts of Isfahan, Washington, 1973, p.42, cat.25)
While this colourful embroidery leaves a few questions open as to its dating and intended use, and the study of this group must be carried further, this panel is undoubtedly part of a rare group of textiles which were highly regarded at the time of manufacture, of which only a handful of figural examples only appear to have survived.
1.Panel with repeated horse rider, Shrine of Imam 'Ali, Mehmet Aga-Oglu, Safawid rugs and textiles, The Collection of the Shrine of the Imam 'Ali at al-Najaf, New York, 1941, pl. 24.
2.Panel with repeated Khusraw and Shirin, as above, Aga-Oglu, op.cit., pl.25.
3.Panel with repeated standing figures, birds and other animals, as above, Aga-Oglu, op.cit., pl.26.
4.Panel with musician and listener, Victoria and Albert Museum, Leigh Ashton, Brief guide to the Persian embroideries - Victoria and Albert Museum - Department of Textiles. London, 1937, pl.10.
5.Panel with repeated musician and listener, Cairo Museum of Islamic Art, Gaston Wiet, Exposition d'Art Persan, Cairo, 1935, pl.XI.
6.Panel with Yusuf and Zulaykha (60.5 x 65.6cm.), 16th century, Textile Museum in Washington, Carol Bier (ed.), Woven from the soul, spun from the heart, Washington, 1987, p.181, cat.23.
7.Panel from the previous embroidery (6.), 16th century, Musée des art décoratifs in Paris, Rémi Labrusse (dir.), Purs Décors, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 2007, p.338, cat.157.
8.Panel with repeated standing figures (2.35 x 2.18m), Berlin Museum, dated end of 17th century, F. Sarre and F.R. Martin, Meisterwerke Muhammedanischer Kunst, London, 1987, pl.208.
9.A coat with enthroned princes and attendants, Museum of Arts and Industry in Vienna, attributed to Kashan, circa 1600, F. Sarre and F.R. Martin, op.cit., pl.207 (dated here 1550-1650).
10.Embroidery on dark ground, mentioned by Ian Bennett in his discussion of the previous coat (9.), National Museum of Stockholm, possibly late 17th century, Ian Bennett, 'The Emperors Old Carpets', in Hali, Summer 1986, 31, p.19.
11.Panel with scenes from the Shahnama (90 x 87cm.), Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris, 17th century, Rémi Labrusse (dir.), Purs Décors, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 2007, p.177, cat.162
12.Small medallion with horseman, 18th century, State Hermitage Museum, Iran in the Hermitage, Formation of the Collection, St Petersburg, 2004, p.164, cat.209
The examples listed above can be divided in two main groups according to their decoration. Embroideries of the first group show figurative compositions conceived on a large scale which, although repeating, are not strictly contained within the borders of a medallion or those of a narrow band. The coat in Vienna with the enthroned princes, the panel in Paris with the scenes from the Shahnama and that in the Textile Museum in Washington are from this group. They can be compared to a remarkable silk appliqué panel depicting a courtly scene in the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest, dated 1525-50 ((Hunt for Paradise, Court Arts of Iran 1501-1576, London, 2003, p.294-5, cat.12.18).
The second group includes our panel and most of the other examples. The decorative composition is organized with repeating medallions of various shapes (circular, square or cusped), each containing small figural scenes, or sometimes longer stripes containing repeated motifs. Medallions and stripes are positioned at various angles in a way that it is often difficult to think of a direction for the display. This group includes, among others, the three panels in the Shrine of Imam 'Ali in Najaf, the panel in Cairo and that in Berlin. The large size of the panel in Berlin, which measures 2.13 x 2.18m, probably indicates that it was made for display. Although we do not know the measurements of the other pieces, most seem to be large and intended for display.
The decorative layout of these embroideries does not follow a particular direction. The rectangular panels in Berlin, Cairo and Najaf show a central field bordered with angled bands forming a chevron layout. The disposition of the figures, that of the medallions in the central panel or within the borders does not follow a unique direction - vertical or horizontal - but combines various angles. A long rectangular 16th century silk tapestry in Munich is mirrored along the two horizontal and vertical middle lines and it is only the relatively small but central peri that gives the main direction (Hunt for Paradise, op.cit., p.305, cat.12.24). It is possible that this embroidery was used as the central field of a larger panel. The central field of the panel in Berlin is composed of medallions of various shapes which are set at various angles. However, the panel in Cairo suggests that our embroidery could also have been used in a border. As Jon Thomson indicates in Hunt for Paradise, panels were often made in sections that were then sewn together and it is not impossible that embroiders experimented their inventiveness through variations in the layout.
This embroidery is decorated with seated peris and men wearing the batoned headdress (taj), standing on both sides of a cypress tree; motifs that are found in various media in contemporary works. The question of the designing of these motifs is interesting. The existence of a single atelier, a royal naqqash khaneh, creating motifs which would have been used by craftsmen, has not been demonstrated in Safavid Iran and seems to be rather an Ottoman trait (Jon Thompson, in Hunt for Paradise, op.cit, p. 278-9). The relative sketchiness of these embroideries probably indicates that the motifs were not drawn directly from existing cartoons but inspired from contemporary designs in other media. Paintings could have been the source of inspiration. The theme of Yusuf and Zulaykha decorating one of the embroideries in Najaf is found for instance on a lacquer binding in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, dated 1559-60 (Hunts for Paradise, p.200, cat.7.15). Contemplating illustrated books was the privilege of the elite however and it is likely that carpets and figural textiles provided a more accessible source of inspiration as they were more commonly displayed, worn and shown to the public.
Two velvet panels in the Keir Collection support this idea. A velvet medallion panel dated circa 1600 is decorated with Shirin bathing and Khusraw on horseback watching her, in a similar composition to that repeated on one of the Najaf embroideries (Friedrich Spuhler, Islamic Carpets and Textiles in the Keir Collection, London, 1978, p.170, No.95). Although of much finer quality, a second panel, datable to the mid-16th century, is decorated with staggered rows of peris seated on small carpets on foliate ground and can be closely paralleled to our embroidery (Friedrich Sphuler, op.cit, p.165, No.92).
The similarity in the decoration of these embroideries suggests that some of them were probably made in related ateliers, or even a single atelier. Our embroidery can be closely paralleled with the three examples in Shrine of Imam 'Ali. The motif of the bird, for instance, is particularly similar on the Najaf panel with standing men. The medallions with standing men on our panel are also very close to those visible on the panels in Cairo and in Berlin. The stylization or relative sketchiness of the motifs, particularly that of the foliage in the background, is worthy of note. This is a feature which is found on all the embroideries and which cannot be explained only by the roughness of the embroidery technique. As none of these examples are dated, it is very difficult to date them precisely. Decorative elements such as the taj worn by the men visible in this embroidery became unfashionable by the early 17th century. When published, most examples are dated "16th/17th century" but the comparisons with the examples mentioned above make a date of the second half of the 16th century more probable.
One of the most interesting features of these embroideries is the featureless faces. Some, like that in the Musée des Arts décoratifs or the coat in Vienna, show remains of facial details which are however sketchily drawn and could have been later added. The others however, like the Berlin panel or the Munich silk tapestry, have blank faced figures. Thompson suggests, after having examined another tapestry formerly in the Museüm für angewandte Kunst in Vienna, that faces were finely drawn with black ink, very probably just after the textiles were completed (Hunt for Paradise, op.cit, p.306). The ink would have faded or corroded with time and would no longer be visible on most panels. As a number of these embroideries adorned the shrine of 'Ali in Najaf, the featureless faces could also possibly be seen as an effect of the religious ban on complete figural representation.
The fact that some of these embroideries were kept in Najaf, the most revered place of Shi'i Islam, with the most luxurious donations, suggests that they were considered as important despite their apparent sketchiness. There intended use is enigmatic; were they made for display only, or intended as tomb covers? The peris decorating the panel could suggest a funerary context, also supported by the Shrine context. It is believed that winged female figures, the houris, will wait upon the devout Muslim at his death. A late 16th century silk tomb cover from the Shrine of the Imam Reza is bordered with seated peris (Anthony Welch, Shah 'Abbas and the Arts of Isfahan, Washington, 1973, p.42, cat.25)
While this colourful embroidery leaves a few questions open as to its dating and intended use, and the study of this group must be carried further, this panel is undoubtedly part of a rare group of textiles which were highly regarded at the time of manufacture, of which only a handful of figural examples only appear to have survived.