#6775 $425
Assuit shawl, 1920s
Assuit cloth is a cotton mesh fabric embroidered with hammered metal pieces. The metal is wrapped around the mesh, and the ends are hammered under to hold the piece in place. This type of cloth, produced since biblical times, is named for Assuit, Egypt, where it originated.
Assuit shawls were popular souvenirs brought home by Americans who visited King Tut's tomb, which was opened for tourists in the early 20th century. The shawls are still being produced today, but they do not have the substantial weight and quality of design found in earlier pieces.
There is nothing flimsy about this superb period shawl. The white cotton net background is almost totally covered with a geometric design fashioned from small pieces of silver-covered metal.
The best earlier Assuit shawls featured graphic geometric designs created in accordance with Islamic restrictions on figural art. The designs produced for the tourist trade often had designs with rows of stick figures. The edges of the shawl are hand rolled.
The condition is almost excellent. On one side is a narrow mend that does not spoil the appearance. This is reflected in the price.
It measures 26" wide by 82" long.
