id: 95653 accession number: 1916.1361.b share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1916.1361.b updated: 2021-01-21 10:05:07.689000 Curtain, 1600s–1700s. Silk, linen, metal, and dye; overall: 276.8 x 136.7 cm (109 x 53 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade 1916.1361.b title: Curtain title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: 1600s–1700s creation date earliest: 1600 creation date latest: 1799 current location: creditline: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade copyright: --- culture: Africa, North Africa, Tunisia, Djerba, Tunisian weaver(s) and embroiderer(s) technique: Silk, linen, metal, and dye department: Textiles collection: T - Islamic type: Embroidery find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS --- measurements: Overall: 276.8 x 136.7 cm (109 x 53 13/16 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS --- PROVENANCE Jeptha Homer Wade II [1857-1926] and Ellen Garretson Wade [1859-1917], Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art date: 1916 footnotes: citations: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH date: 1916- footnotes: citations: --- fun fact: When first acquired over a century ago, this curtain had fringe at its lower end. digital 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. wall description: Reversible curtains were hung at large doors that opened into interior courtyards, either tied back or hung across the opening for privacy. This striking example, one of a pair, is composed of alternating groups of monochromatic and decorated narrow strips of silk. The decorated strips were made by weavers or gold-thread embroiderers in the marketplace. Even the tiny white silk thread stitches joining the lengths contribute to the overall richness. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1361.b/1916.1361.b_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1361.b/1916.1361.b_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1361.b/1916.1361.b_full.tif