Silk and Metallic Thread Tapestry Hanging

Tapestry wall hanging of silk and metallic thread featuring. Tapestry is plain weft faced weave having weft threads of different colors worked over portions of the warp to form a design. The warp threads are hidden and the weft yarns discontinuous. Each color weft is interlaced back and forth in its own small pattern area.The tapestry woven textiles of Syria originated in both Aleppo and Damascus although the best work tends to come from Aleppo. It is found in the billowing abbas, small skull caps, purses and jackets as well as in larger wall hangings as this example. The basic design here is a prayer arch, or mihrab, made of mosque elements such as minarets, pillars, mosque lamps and urns with flowers. All surrounded by a scalloped blue border.The influence is clearly Turkish, only tapestry- woven and not embroidered or appliqued as the Turkish hangings tend to be.