Sash (uçkur) with Design of Cypress Tree and Carnations

Arrangements of carnations and cypress trees sparkling with metal threads grace this delicate cotton textile. Ottoman embroiderers adopted aspects of botanical naturalism introduced through European art objects, books, and drawings imported in the early 18th century. The cultural exchange was mutual. Just prior, in the late 17th century, “little Muslin-Napkins, edg’d with Gold, Silver, and Silk Border[s]” were imported into Europe, along with coffee, according to the French merchant Pierre de La Roque.