Ottoman Embroidery Fragment

This Ottoman embroidery fragment was made in the 18th century, likely as a napkin or towel border. Tulips were a popular motif in the Ottoman Empire. They grow wildly in Anatolia, and though for a time they were supplanted in popularity by the rose, Sultan Mehmed IV (r. 1648-1686) followed by his son, Sultan Ahmed III (r. 1703-1730), celebrated this flower. Sultan Ahmed III loved tulips so much that his reign became known as the Lale Devri, the ‘tulip era.’