Burgundy Silk Ciselé Velvet Fragment with Floral Pattern

Elizabethan · 1600s · Italian

This silk ciselé velvet fragment displays a sophisticated floral pattern characteristic of 17th-century Italian textile production. The design features large burgundy flowers with detailed petal structures, complemented by olive green foliage and smaller golden yellow blooms against a cream ground. The ciselé technique creates varied pile heights, giving dimensional contrast between the raised velvet motifs and the lower pile or cut areas. The fragment shows evidence of being cut from a larger textile, likely originally used for furnishing or ecclesiastical purposes. The rich color palette and complex weaving technique demonstrate the high level of craftsmanship in Italian silk production during the Baroque period.