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Gallery Talk: A Tale of Textiles—Netherlandish and Islamic Interpretations

This red velvet textile features an eight-pointed star with flowers in a center medallion, surrounded by a border of tulips and flowers.
Velvet cushion cover, Türkiye (Turkey), Ottoman period, c. 1675–1725. Cut and voided silk velvet brocaded with metal threads. Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Edwin Binney, 3rd Collection of Turkish Art at the Harvard Art Museums, 1985.300.

Gallery Talk

In-Person
Harvard Art Museums
32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA

This event does not require registration; see further details below.

Textiles were some of the most sumptuous goods traded between Europe and the Islamic world in the 16th and 17th centuries. Graduate student Shireen Shah will explore how this rich exchange led to the depiction of Ottoman textiles in Netherlandish art and uncover its implications and meanings.

This tour is offered in conjunction with the exhibition Imagine Me and You: Dutch and Flemish Encounters with the Islamic World, 1450–1750 (May 18–August 18, 2024).

Led by:
Shireen Shah, Graduate Student Teacher, Division of Academic and Public Programs

Please check in with museum staff at the Visitor Services desk in the Calderwood Courtyard to request to join the talk. Talks are limited to 18 people and are available on a first-come, first-served basis; no registration is required.

The Harvard Art Museums are now offering free admission every day, Tuesday through Sunday. Please see the museum visit page to learn about our general policies for visiting the museums.

Support for Imagine Me and You: Dutch and Flemish Encounters with the Islamic World, 1450–1750 is provided by the Stanley H. Durwood Foundation Support Fund and the Melvin R. Seiden and Janine Luke Fund for Publications and Exhibitions. Related programming is supported by the M. Victor Leventritt Lecture Series Endowment Fund.

The Harvard Art Museums are committed to accessibility for all visitors. For anyone requiring accessibility accommodations for our programs, please contact us at am_register@harvard.edu at least 48 hours in advance.