Skip to Main Content

Artwork Page for Curtain (one of a pair)

Details / Information for Curtain (one of a pair)

Curtain (one of a pair)

1600s–1700s
Part of a set, view all set records
(s)
Silk, linen, metal, and dye
Overall: 281 x 157.7 cm (110 5/8 x 62 1/16 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade 1916.1361.a
Location: 234 Textile Gallery
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Print

Did You Know?

When first acquired over a century ago, this curtain had fringe at its lower end.

Description

One of a pair, this curtain displays colorful silk bands with woven geometric motifs, and cream bands with gold-embroidered plants, birds, six-pointed stars, and the khamsah (خمسة), an open five-fingered hand. Birds and the tree of life were popular good luck or fertility symbols linked to marriage. This curtain’s cosmopolitan motifs would have resonated with Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike, reflecting its creation on multiethnic and multireligious Djerba, an island off the Tunisian coast. There, both goldsmithing and gold thread embroidery were done by Jewish artisans (male and female, respectively). The fine materials suggest this curtain once hung in a wealthy home or for special occasions; interior wall hangings were typically made from rough wool.
Rectangular curtain with primarily red, dark blue, and gold vertical stripes. These stripes are composed of a central geometric patterned stripe on a solid colored background, flanked by two thinner stripes of a different solid color. Strips of linen separate the stripes, plain white except in the lower third where solid blocks of embroidered gold geometric patterns branch out into more organic, somewhat floral patterns.

Curtain (one of a pair)

1600s–1700s

Africa, North Africa, Tunisia, Djerba, Tunisian weaver(s) and embroiderer(s)

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.