  
  About the Artwork
  
  
  In 1800s Turkey, and well before, long napkins like this one spanned across the laps of several dinner guests sitting side by side, creating a physical form of connection during a communal meal. An individual diner could have also draped this napkin across their shoulder, chest, and lap to protect clothing from drips or to use for wiping their fingertips and mouth.
 
Diners also employed napkins to dry their hands after washing before or after a meal. Water for handwashing was typically scented with rosewater or other perfumes, and the napkin would have absorbed these fragrances, contributing a pleasing aroma to the dining experience.
 
These practical dining accessories usually have detailed embroideries, adding visual details to the multisensory experience of the meal. Here, a dense design of colorful flowers, accentuated with shiny metallic threads, adorns each end.
  
  
  Title
  Napkin
  
  
  Artwork Date
  19th century
  
  Artist
  ----------
  
  
  
  Life Dates
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  Nationality
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events.
  Some definitions include:
  Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation.
  
  
  
  Turkish
  
  
  
  Culture
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group.
  
  
  
  
  ----------
  
  
  Medium
  Foundation fabric of plain weave linen; wool and cotton threads, metallic plat and threads; counted thread technique
  
  
  Dimensions
  Overall: 56 &Atilde;&#151; 18 inches (142.2 &Atilde;&#151; 45.7 cm)
  
  
  Classification
  Embroidery
  
  
  Department
  Islamic Art
  
  
  Credit
  Gift of Mrs. Isadore Levin
  
  
  
  Accession Number
  
  
  
  This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection.
  Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum&acirc;&#128;&#153;s holdings.
  For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems&acirc;&#128;&#148;no longer assigned&acirc;&#128;&#148;that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups.
  
  
  
  46.340
  
  
  Copyright
  Public Domain
  
  
  
