Spread (Primary Title)
Embroidered Floorspread (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
Opulently embroidered spreads of this type survive in substantial numbers, but scholars cannot agree on where they were made. Some think they were produced in Ottoman Turkey, while most point to various regions in India. Many of these spreads have been found in Spain and Portugal, suggesting that they were imported from Portuguese trading stations in India. Portugal’s main Indian colony—from 1510 until 1961—was Goa, located on India’s west coast, adjacent to the Deccan. It is possible that this spread was made on one of these territories. Its lavish embroidery includes an eclectic mixture of design elements inspired by Persian, Turkish, Mughal, and Deccani patterns. Produced for both Indian and European markets, such spreads probably served a wide variety of uses, from floor coverings to bedspreads and tablecloths.
Robert A. and Ruth W. Fisher Fund
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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