headscarf

Women’s square headscarf of fine cotton fabric (kouroukla), dyed in bright red. It is decorated with printed floral designs along the edges and in the centre. On each side, four similar bouquets of extremely fine flowers in green, yellow, and red colours, with black outlines, are repeated, while a larger composition of flowers and leaves occupies the four corners of the headscarf. In the centre, a floral composition is surrounded by a wreath. The finish is of simple twisted cord, without lace.   The headscarf most probably originates from the workshops of the Bosphorus – either from Nihori on the western coast or Kandilli on the eastern coast – which were famous for their printed scarves.   The traditional technique of calico-printing was practiced in the Bosphorus workshops as far back as the 17th century. These workshops used fine linen, silk cotton, muslin and cotton. The headscarves were decorated with floral compositions, which included tulip bouquets and carnations, as well as almond and cherry blossoms.   The Armenian and Greek folk artisans of Istanbul developed the technique of calico-printing into an art. It is believed that in the carving of wooden blocks for printing the designs, Armenian artisans played a leading role. Both Greek and Armenian women made significant contributions to the art of stamping, specialising in the application of colour with a paintbrush within the printed outline (for the workshops in Bosphorus, see Bozi 1997, 45-57).   Dimensions: length 107 cm., width 107 cm.