Ottoman Snuff Handkerchief

The dark ground color used on this textile avoids unsightly stains to the fabric, indicating that it is not a ritual towel but a snuff handkerchief. Composed on loosely woven linen, this outstanding example from the Ottoman period is an excellent representation of Ottoman design and over – embroidery technique.

The decoration is done in resist dye technique, very similar to batik, with alternating squares of flowers and small dots. The Supplementary border pattern on both ends is done in metallic thread and silk. Both the resist dye technique and the embroidery are double sided.