2-724-844 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Brocaded velvet cushion cover with carnations, late 1500s. The six lappet designs on the top and bottom identify this textile as an Ottoman cushion cover for a royal divan, or sofa, used in the royal court. Its bold and graphic pattern is made up of carnations in three staggered rows. Carnations can be distinguished from other floral motifs by their sawtooth petals and serrated leaves.