Rasht Embroidery. North Persia, Gilan Province, Ca. 1900. Auction - Rippon Boswell & Co.
This large decorative hanging was made in Rasht, the capital of the North Persian province of Gilan, whose ornate embroideries were highly renowned throughout Persia and beyond. As usual, the foundation is a wool felt mosaic composed of sections in different colours which coordinate with the design. The red field terminating in an arch shape at the top is dominated by a huge cypress flanked by swirling vines and floral stems. The stems lie on an azure ground along the sides and at the upper end. Two lion masks and several splendid birds have been incorporated into the design.(с)
Vintage Black and White Photos Brought to Life With Embroidered Details. ———
Artist Satoru Aoyama combines vintage prints and embroidery stitches to create fascinating multi-medium works of art. Known for his ability to intersect the contemporary with the traditional, Aoyama is recognized for his inherent craftsmanship and consistent acknowledgement of the artistic process. By perfectly aligning layers of embroidery onto monochromatic backgrounds, Aoyama is able to add new dimensions to each of his images. His work is one of restoration, taking the faded historical photographs and lending them new life through unique and colorful decorations.
Aoyama makes use of an old Singer sewing machine to adorn his pieces. The intricate process serves as a nod to the individual labor depicted in the photographed scenes. Born in Tokyo, Japan, but having studied art in America and the UK, the talented artist brings this varied educational background to his integrative work approach. Thread is meticulously layered on top of culturally and historically varied backgrounds, providing a depth and energy to the pictures, and allowing the characters’ handiwork to come alive in the process. Paying homage to the unknown embroiderers, Aoyama takes differing elements and merges them together to create a series of unified wholes.
The old master with his work, traditional uzbek block printed textiles., Central Asia. #uzbek #blockprint #blockprinting #blockprinted #traditionaltextiles #tribaltextiles #handwoven #vintagetextiles #oldfabric #pattern #ornament #ornamentation #bohotextiles #tribalart #tribal #bohoshop
Knife with Ivory Hilt Object Name: Dagger Date: 19th century Geography: Iran Culture: Islamic Medium: Steel, watered; ivory and gold
“Damascus” or “Watered” steel refers to blades like this one that have been given a wavy or “watered” pattern, created by specific smelting and crucible techniques, prior to forging. In Western Europe such blades were believed to originate from Damascus, though this technique was practiced in the Islamic Middle East at least since the Middle Ages. This 19th century example illustrates how even in the later period of Islamic art these artistic traditions remain popular and celebrated.
The forte and hilt of the top dagger are covered with chiseled decoration of floral motifs, arabesques and cartouches containing ducks and lions– ornament that can be found on a variety of media in later Persian art.
The bottom dagger has been inscribed with Qur'anic passages on the forte of the blade, as well as on the ivory handle. The inclusion of holy words on this object imbues it with talismanic properties, believed to offer protection and ward off evil. The most efficacious talismanic objects are those that are inscribed with prayers that evoke the name of God, the Prophet Muhammad and his companions.
It pains me that people hundreds of years ago, who didn’t have much of the technology we have, took what they could and painstakingly spend hundreds, thousands of hours to craft the world’s most beautiful clothing, furniture, and architecture. They covered things in sequins and embroidery and sculpture and frescoes…
Now, with our modern day machinery, we can do all of that stuff in a matter of minutes, and we just…don’t.
My roommate recently bought an appliance that came with a little warranty card which was printed on pale green paper and had a decorative border around it, and I looked at it and thought “oh, that’s neat!” and then I got sad about how incredibly bland and ugly most packaging is today, because it is a fairly nice looking card, but still extremely plain compared to packaging & stationery from even just a century ago.
Yes! Exactly!
We could create all the little insignificant pieces of our lives, even like warranty cards, with the flair of Alphonse Mucha - and instead we get Patrick Bateman???
ah, but you see, we are mature
we have grown beyond the need for such silly, frivolous things as ornamentation
because as everyone knows, the marker of truly advanced civilization is a beige cube room with blocky chairs and a single blue throw pillow
