A Polish 'Paschalis' brocade sash

woven double-sided in taqueté (weft-faced compound weave), applied with metal-thread fringing along both ends

Measurements: as stated in cataloguing Colours generally evenly faded overall. Designed to be reversible, and have four colour ways: the blue on one side is pale pink and the yellow is a pale cream. Some loose threads to brocade, especially at ends, and where floating wefts on reverse, within the end sections, and some of floating wefts lacking especially on reverse of one end. There are small red stitches consolidating the floating warps on the reverse of the other end in the pallu, and an old fold line visible on brocade in pallu end between the main flowers. There are some repairs to both corners at one end.The metal-thread fringing along both ends attached to thin strip of cotton on reverse. There is evidence of cream coloured silk edging along one side, lacking in section and predominantly now only on one side of panel (not turned over the edge). Overall the panel is in good condition. Finely woven, with charming details.
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During the 17th century Persian scarves, woven mainly in the workshops of Kashan, were imported into Poland through the Turkish markets for use as sashes, although the Persian textile trade ended with the Afghan invasion of 1722. Workshops were introduced into Poland, encouraged and supported by the wealthy and influential nobles, to produce items including textiles that had previously been imported. Armenian exiles in Constantinople began the production of Stanbul Sashes exclusively for the Polish market and subsequently transferred their operations and specialist equipment to Poland. The first sashes with gold and silver threads were made around 1740 in Słuck under the direction of Armenian weavers. They often combined Persian, Chinese and Turkish motifs. Paschalis Jakubovicz, was an Armenian merchant with workshops in Warsaw and Lipkóv in the mid 1780’s. His sashes were initially signed Paschalis and later (1791-94) included the initials PJ and the Paschal lamb. The present example includes only the lamb in the corners. These sashes became status accessories for Polish men's dress, and as tied showing both sides, they were woven so the design was reversible, showing four possible colour-ways, and were often brighter on one side, as visible in the present sash.

Related Literature:

Taszycka, Maria and Holst, Manfred, 'Symbols of Nationhood: History of the Polish Sash', Hali,  84, London, 1996, pp.72-77;
Thompson, Jon, Shaffer, Daniel, Mildh, Pirjetti, (ed), Carpets and Textiles in the Iranian World 1400-1700, Proceedings of the Conference held at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 30-31 August 2003, for The May Beattie Archive, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, in association with The Bruschettini Foundation for Islamic and Asian Art, Genoa, 2010, Beata Biedronska Slota, 'Persian sashes preserved in Polish collections', XI, pp. 176-185.