Description

Exquisite Syrian silk shawl worked in silk and gold (see close up image).

It is an interlocking tapestry weave with areas with a supplementary weft float.

The design is a repeat of stripes arranged as a mirror image around an imaginary line in the horizontal centre of the shawl: three sections with a chevron pattern flanked by a sequence of plain yellow and blue stripes and one strip with rectangles of two blocks of colour, which in turn are flanked by a sequence of yellow and dark red stripes in a plain weave.

The relatively simple geometry of the patterns is off set by the vibrancy of the colours, above all the dominating yellow, plus a very strong blue, green, dark red and purple plus a more brownish and off white hue for the narrow strips to border the block colours, and, of course, the gold.

The shawl is of almost completely square proportions and is bordered by a beautiful crochet detail at the ends and multi coloured (dark red, yellow and white) silk tassels of 36 cm length. It is in excellent condition and has a good weight.