The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 22, 2025

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)
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: Not on view

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.
  • 1916
    Jeptha Homer Wade II [1857-1926] and Ellen Garretson Wade [1859-1917], Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1916-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Arts of the Maghreb: North African Textiles and Jewelry. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 3, 2024-October 12, 2025).
    Islamic art rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 16, 2015-December 19, 2016).
  • {{cite web|title=Curtain (one of a pair)|url=false|author=|year=1600s–1700s|access-date=22 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.1361.a