1525–50
Silk: lampas
Overall: 85.1 x 38.1 cm (33 1/2 x 15 in.); Mounted: 91.4 x 45.7 cm (36 x 18 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1924.743
Iran is renowned for representations of large human figures in luxury silks during the Safavid period. Symbolic images of beauty and love characterize this signature silk in which a wine bearer appears in a landscape with cypresses and blossoming prunus trees, a pond, and a rocky hill along with animals of royal hunts. Cypresses and long-neck bottles were metaphors for elegance and male beauty while cypresses entwined by blossoming trees, paired pheasants, youth, and wine impart themes of love. The asymmetrical composition contrasts vitality and order, which contributes to concealing the repeated design inherent in patterned silks.
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, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.