Textile with field of poppies on a golden ground (1600–1750): Art, History and Details

Textile with field of poppies on a golden ground (1600–1750) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Trade in textiles flourished between India and Iran. Courtly consumers from the neighboring Mughal and Safavid dynasties admired the products of both regions. The subtle chevrons set off rows of poppies that sway in alternating directions, lending a gentle liveliness to the overall pattern. Peach and green silk threads interlace to create each poppy in a technique that uses discontinuous wefts and allows for a smooth surface finish to this lightweight textile.

Object facts

• Title: Textile with field of poppies on a golden ground
• Date: 1600–1750
• Culture: Iran, Safavid period (1501–1722)
• Type: Textile
• Technique: silk and gilt-metal thread: twill weave with supplementary weft, stamped
• Dimensions: Overall: 85.7 x 71.1 cm (33 3/4 x 28 in.); Mounted: 92.7 x 78.7 cm (36 1/2 x 31 in.)
• Collection: T - Islamic
• Department: Textiles
• Accession number: 1926.22

A detail from the museum

Poppies are a common motif on Persian lusterware or Zarrinfam pottery of the Safavid era.

Collection credit

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• Mackie, Louise W. Symbols of Power: Luxury Textiles from Islamic Lands, 7th-21st Century. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2015.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.