Textile Item Number: 915/4 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Rectangular, multi-coloured silk bed cover or wall hanging. It is constructed of five-colour silk warp-face ikat textile (dark red, yellow, red, blue and pale pink), which forms a ‘frame’ around a large rectangular panel of yellow-green shot silk textile (yellow warp, green weft). Loosely quilted by hand at 55 cm intervals onto a backing of machine-printed off-white and orange cotton gauze. There is a lightweight layer of cotton batting between the layers. The silk ikat textile has been pieced together in many places. Bound on all four edges with bias strips of silk and cotton ikat textile. A strip of white cotton broadcloth, 4 cm wide, is hand-sewn along one short edge, and there are small fibre loops attached at two corners (one made of narrow gold braid, the other of white and blue printed cotton textile).
History Of Use
Might have been used as a bed cover for a bride and groom. Could have been used as a decorative wall hanging, curtain, room divider, etc. Domestic textiles played a central role in family life.
Narrative
According to Clarke Abbott of Tradewind Antiques, the person who collected this piece lived in Kabul in the early 1960s, doing ambassadorial work. He traveled widely throughout the area. He was killed in an automobile accident there, and no further information is available about him or his collection. The piece was subsequently acquired by Tradewind Antiques in Vancouver at an unknown date, and the Museum of Anthropology purchased it in 1984, when the business was liquidating its stock.
Item History
- Made in Afghanistan ? or Uzbekistan ?
- Collected in Afghanistan ? during 1960
- Owned by Tradewind Antiques before January 10, 1984
- Received from Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source) and Tradewind Antiques (Seller) on January 10, 1984
What
- Name
- Textile
- Identification Number
- 915/4
- Type of Item
- textile
- Material
- silk fibre, dye and cotton fibre ?
- Overall
- height 127.4 cm, width 226.5 cm
Who
- Culture
- Turkmen ? or Uzbek ?
- Previous Owner
- Tradewind Antiques
- Received from
- Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source) and Tradewind Antiques (Seller)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Afghanistan ? or Uzbekistan ?
- Collected in
- Afghanistan ?
When
- Collection Date
- during 1960
- Ownership Date
- before January 10, 1984
- Acquisition Date
- on January 10, 1984
Other
- Item Classes
- textiles
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 0915/0004