Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn have written an inspiring (and eye-opening) article – The Women’s Crusade – for this weekend’s The New York Times Magazine. It begins with a profile of Saima Muhammad (pictured above) who, with the help of a micro-finance loan, was able to begin an embroidery business that utterly transformed her life.
Photograph by Katy Grannan for The New York Times.
Above, a detail of a 16th century kaftan from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Here’s their description:
This magnificent panel from a kaftan is an example of very high-grade seraser production in Istanbul. Seraser is a cloth of gold and silver woven in a compound structure consisting of two warps and two or more complementary wefts. It was highly favored at the Ottoman court. The design of peacock feathers alludes to the bird who resided in paradise until he was expelled, along with Adam and Eve, for failing to follow God’s commandments.
Disregarding its deeper cultural and religious meaning for a moment, I’d like to regard the object simply on a visual level: The bold, stylized design! The buttery yellow with hints of green! Weekend eye candy five centuries old.
News from Iran over the past three days has been quite absorbing, and it’s really a complete marvel to watch such dramatic and momentous events unfold from so many thousands of miles away. As I send my heartfelt wishes for the safety of all involved, I’m also reminded of the incredibly rich artistic history rooted in the region, one that makes American culture look very very young.
Above, a silk brocade attributed to 13th century Iran — from The Khalili Collections. Click on the slide show of their Islamic art collection to see many more amazing pieces.
Some beautiful Moroccan flat weave carpets from Larusi, also cited in the latest issue of The World Of Interiors. I love the simple elegance of these floor coverings.
A few years ago I picked up a small brochure of works represented by Mizrahi Fine Arts, a tribal art gallery based in Vienna. (It must have been during my visit to the Tribal & Textile Arts show in New York in early 2005?) I’ve held onto it because the carpets pictured – described as “primitive goat hair textiles” made by Kurds in Eastern Anatolia – represent my version of a certain kind of carpet bliss. The simplicity of the design, the earthiness of the natural (goat hair) material, the stern and yet soothing combination of colors — it’s perfect.
