id:			95653
accession number:	1916.1361.b
share license status:	CC0
url:			https://clevelandart.org/art/1916.1361.b
updated:		2022-01-04 14:38:14.891000

Curtain, 1600s–1700s. Africa, North Africa, Tunisia, Djerba, Tunisian weaver(s) and embroiderer(s). 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:			

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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: 

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CREATORS

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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:

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CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

	title:		Stories From Storage
	opening date:   2021-02-07T05:00:00
	<i>Stories From Storage</i>. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 7-May 16, 2021).

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LEGACY EXHIBITIONS

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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: 	


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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 <em>khamsah</em> (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.
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RELATED WORKS

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CITATIONS

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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