Cope

mid- to late 17th century

Not on view

In the 17th century the Armenian community drove the engine of trade in luxury silks made in Safavid Iran and Mughal India. Thanks to their mercantile skills, Christian faith, and dispersed community, the Armenians had a successful network in Europe and Asia. Cloth that was sold in lengths in Europe was then fashioned into church vestments such as this one. The fact that the hood is sewn under the orphrey appears to indicate that the piece was assembled in Rome, where this practice is typical. The regular rows of blossoms on a precious metal ground recall Mughal Indian textiles of the second half of the 17th century, while certain technical details of the weaving and use of metal-wrapped threads is more typical of Iranian textiles. The stylistic closeness of the two point to the popularity of these silks in both Iran and India.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Cope
Date: mid- to late 17th century
Geography: Attributed to Iran or India; possibly assembled or refurbished in Rome
Medium: Silk, metal-wrapped thread, and linen; woven
Dimensions: H. 51 in. (129.5 cm)
W. 106 11/16 in. (271 cm)
Classification: Textiles-Woven
Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Islamic Art Gifts, in honor of Sheila Canby, 2019
Object Number: 2019.110
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

More Artwork

In the same medium

From the same time and place

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Calligraphic Plaque, Steel; forged and pierced — Calligraphic Plaque
probably late 17th century

Velvet Panel with Flowering Plants, Silk, cotton, flat metal wrapped thread; cut and voided velvet, brocaded — Velvet Panel with Flowering Plants
first half 17th century

The 'Nigde' Carpet, Cotton (warp and weft), wool (pile); symmetrically knotted pile — The 'Nigde' Carpet
18th century

Velvet with Pattern of Butterflies and Flowers, Silk, metal wrapped thread; cut and voided velvet — Velvet with Pattern of Butterflies and Flowers
18th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.