Brocaded silk with foliate medallions from a kaftan

Medallions enriched with floral and foliate decoration were signature Ottoman patterns during the height of silk textile production in the second half of the 1500s. Imperial kaftans with related patterns are preserved in the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul along with those worn by young princes. In this splendid length from a kaftan, abundant silver-thread flora and overlapping leaves on vines enliven medallions in the densely woven fabric. It is a combination of two weaves, called lampas, which creates two contrasting surfaces composed of vertical warps and horizontal wefts.