Silk velvets were produced in Iran in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries for export to Europe as luxury goods. They were often used as garments and household furnishings and cherished by Iranian and European consumers alike for their supple texture. These fragments feature staggered rows of flowering plants in yellow, orange and pink against a dark blue ground. Similar floral motifs appear on textiles, tile work and other decorative media during the Safavid era, attesting to the popularity of the garden as a favorite theme.
