The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 19, 2025
Curtain (one of a pair)
1600s–1700s
(s) and embroiderer(s)
Overall: 276.8 x 136.7 cm (109 x 53 13/16 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade 1916.1361.b
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.- 1916Jeptha Homer Wade II [1857-1926] and Ellen Garretson Wade [1859-1917], Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art1916-The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Stories from Storage. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 7-May 16, 2021).
- {{cite web|title=Curtain (one of a pair)|url=false|author=|year=1600s–1700s|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.1361.b