Chios Silk Textile with metal threads

227 x 124 cm (7' 5" x 4' 1")
Ottoman Empire / Island of Chios, ca. 1700
Condition: two panels sewn together, condition good for its age, some abrasions, scattered small repairs, signs of use
Silk and metal threads on silk

Silk hangings from Chios often feature architectural motifs, such as Ottoman kiosks with domes crowned by crescent moons.
Our precious silk depicts an interior with an arch supported by columns. We recognize this motif from a handful of early Ottoman niche carpets and from the classic Transylvanian column carpets. A lamp bearing the seal of Solomon hangs from a chain in the gable.
We can see European influences in the tendrils covering the field. The bouquets in the vases, on the other hand, are in the Ottoman tulip and carnation style. The flowers swaying in the wind with their heads bowed in the upper and lower panels originate from the Mughal Indian tradition. Wonderfully naturalistic flower branches on a gold background can be found in the arch.
Chios was under Genoese rule until 1566, but had been producing velvet and silk for the Ottoman Empire long before that. The island maintained representative offices in Constantinople and had its own han in Bursa as a trading post.
Such textiles can be seen in the National Museum in Krakow; some of these wonderful silks have also been preserved in the Topkapi Seraglio.

Estimate: € 6000 - 8000