http://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/20310/fullEmbroidered (Rasht-i douzi) Saddle Blanket19th - 20th centuryOverall: 63 x 77 in. (160 x 195.6cm)Wool, silkCourtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art85.801This elaborately embroidered wool and silk textile boasts geometric and vegetal motifs with clear links to Persian manuscript illumination, as well as South Asian iconography (note the boteh, or paisley, motifs along the edge).
Functional as a saddle blanket underneath an elaborately worked leather saddle, this intricate, fringed textile would certainly have been a luxurious item of showmanship for a well-off rider displaying both a flash of color - although the intricate embroidery would have been a personal pleasure, seen only by the rider and the groom.
Textiles195.5803911608160.02032004060E-101650587287