Cleveland Museum of Art

Lotus-blossom petal canopy

Date

c. 1600

Medium

silk: lampas

Culture

Northern India

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The ceilings of sacred spaces throughout India were carved or painted with concentric circular lotus patterns; many also included textile canopies with the same designs. This exceptionally large example was woven in one complete section on a single loom. In India, the full-blown lotus flower bears solar connotations. It projects the radiance of a sacred or royal presence below. The motif of a dragon bearing down on a winged lion in each of the four corners indicates the designer’s recognition of a motif popular across Islamic Asia, from Turkey to Iran and Mughal India.

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