Mirror Cover
In the Turkish houses of old, covers like this one were draped around mirrors as decoration during the day and hung over them before sunset: there was a superstition that if one looked into a mirror at night, one might see the devil's reflection. The cover is embroidered with a double running stitch, making the decoration visible on both sides of the cloth. The floral ornament is inspired by earlier Ottoman glazed ceramics.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
2007 | Ottoman Embroideries and Other Ornament. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
Geographies
Turkey (Place of Origin)
Measurements
56 5/8 x 20 1/4 in. (143.8 x 51.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
83.214