In Trockenen Tüchern

The publication In trockenen Tüchern [A Stitch in Time] presents selected Ottoman textiles from the eighteenth to the twentieth century.

Artistically decorated with blossom, fruit, or objects from everyday culture such as flagons, architecture, or ships, the cloths are a fascinating account of the embroidery and weaving techniques used. These textiles have the special feature of looking exactly the same on both sides, making it impossible to distinguish the front from the reverse.

The finely woven textiles compiled here stem from the collection of the Museum Fünf Kontinente [Museum Five Continents] in Munich—where they are currently being exhibited—as well as the private collections of Ulla Ther, Munich, and Werner Middendorf, Berlin. They fulfilled different functions within various realms of people's lives, accompanying everyday activities as towels or napkins, or adorning apartments and houses on special occasions such as weddings or births.

The items of embroidery range from roughly contoured shapes, where you can clearly see the embroiderer might have preferred to spend her time on other work, to delicately stitched details that bear witness to a high level of craftsmanship and a vast repertoire of forms. While some people had to embroider the pieces themselves, prosperous citizens could have their woven pieces custom-made in small, professional manufactories, where men would also be involved in embroidery work.

Discover the diversity and vibrancy of this centuries-old cultural technique and immerse yourselves in the Ottoman life of past centuries.