The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 28, 2023

Shaped horse trapping

1600s

India

Velvet, brocaded and pile warp substitution: silk and gilt-metal thread

Average: 26.1 x 23.5 cm (10 1/4 x 9 1/4 in.)

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1927.376

Location

not on view

Description

The scrolling floral vines in the border and the combination of gold with imperial crimson resonate with the painted depiction of the textiles that accompany portraits of the emperor. The poppy plant in the center can be identified by the leaves with multiple lacy points and may reference the opium in which Emperor Jahangir indulged daily.

Citations
Mackie, Louise W. Symbols of Power: Luxury Textiles from Islamic Lands, 7th-21st Century. Cleveland; New Haven: Cleveland Museum of Art; Yale University Press, 2015. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 421, fig. 10.12
Exhibition history

Needles, Dye-Pots, and Looms: Textile Traditions in India. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 15, 1985-May 11, 1986).

Art and Stories from Mughal India. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (July 31-October 23, 2016).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1927.376