Middle East, Textile; Turkish people wore sashes round their waists. They tied them so that the decorative ends hung below knee level. Women may have threaded narrow sashes such as this one through the waistband of their trousers to hold them in place. At the end of the 18th century embroidery designs began to develop into rigid and heavily stylised borders for towels and napkins. The colours were strong and embroiderers used greater quantities of metal thread. The designs were always inventive. The colours in some 19th century embroideries were originally very bright but they have faded to pleasing pastel shades. Sash border, cotton embroidered with silk in double darning and double running in a line, and with metal thread in slanted satin stitch. There are three bands in which one motif is repeated four times per band: it is a crescent shaped metal thread bowl in which there is a bunch of grapes and other fruit. The colours vary in each repetition. One side has been cut. 24.5 x 22.5 cm; one side cut