Fragment of a furnishing textile

1800s

Africa, North Africa, Morocco, Fes, Moroccan embroiderer

Medium

Cotton, silk, dye

Measurements

Overall: 22.2 x 45.1 cm (8 3/4 x 17 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1933.422

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

This textile was purchased in 1933 from the "A Century of Progress International Exposition," better known as the Chicago World's Fair.

Description

The dense blue embroidery on this fragment is associated with the city of Fes, and was likely part of a larger textile used to decorate the interior of a Moroccan home. It might have been used as a cover for a pillow or low sofas lining the walls of a sitting room. Historically, some of these textiles were described as "Aleuj" (a pejorative term loosely translating to 'convert') and thought to be made by Circassian women from the Caucasus region in western Asia.