Azerbaijan Embroidery
Azerbaijan, possibly Tabriz area, second half 17th century
100 x 101 cm (3' 3" x 3' 4")
Condition: very good according to age, scattered slight abrasions and lacking parts, scattered small restorations
Silk on cotton

Silk embroideries from Azerbaijan from the 17th to the early 19th century can be roughly divided into three main groups. According to design, one is closely related to carpets of the same time of the region namely Dragon and Blossom carpets; another shows geometric tile designs; and the third displays naturalistic flowers, animals and human beings derived from Safavid court carpets and textiles.
This last group is the largest in surviving numbers, and the oldest. Michael Franses, "Stars of the Caucasus, 2018", finds part explanation of this fact in the large numbers of Azerbaijani people in the region of Tabriz, and suggests also that they have been especially treasured textiles. Another reason might be that, when these embroideries appeared in western markets from the end of the 19th century onwards, collectors and museums alike might have preferred textiles that could be related to the high art of the Safavid court; this increased their survival rate.
Among the Safavid group there is a subdivision marked by a mostly central, eight-pointed star surrounded by cartouches. Michael Franses states that the design must 'surely have come from fritware tiles' and that these often 'feature animals among curving stems'. The oldest of the group, pl. 12 in "Stars of the Caucasus", shows on the left of a central cypress tree a person playing a flute while on the other side a smaller figure is listening.
Within the star and cartouche group Michael identifies four known examples on a black background. Two are in the Viktoria & Albert Museum, one was formerly in a Dutch collection and then sold at Rippon Boswell, May 2016 Lot 28; and then comes our piece, which formerly was with Sir John Ramsden, Muncaster, Cumbria. It was shown at the exhibition of Persian art in Burlington House in London in 1931.
Within the eight-pointed star we see two birds sitting on branches left and right of a central complex flower motif. This arrangement is repeated in the light-blue cartouches which surround the star. A wonderfully drawn green border with red highlights surrounds the blue-and-white inner field. The execution of the embroidery is very detailed, flowing and naturalistic.
In this it differs from an example with almost identical design and age but a contrasting interpretation with Moshe Tabibnia Milan. See p. 73 in "Stars of the Caucasus". The colour palette is different, the drawing more abstract and with less detail. Especially interesting is the comparison with the borders. Even though the two examples might have the same age, our example is closer to its Safavid court art roots.