Colorful Table Cloth – Isfahan

Colorful table cloth/ decorative fabric. Isfahan, Persia, [early 20th cent]. Fabric, manual printing (stencil); hand colored. Stamped on the reverse: "Made in Iran" (English and Persian). Dense decorations of leaves, flowers and birds. Around the central circle are printed eighteen Stars of David, with the words "Zion" and the letters M-a-g-e-n-d-a-v-i-d. A blessing from the Book of Exodus is printed on the borders. Apparently this fabric was used as a table cloth or as a wall hanging decoration. Length: 102 cm, width: 100 cm. Good condition. Minor stains. Tears to lower corners. See: Jewish Folk Art through the Ages, by Ali and Aliza Davis (Reuven Mass publishing, Jerusalem, 1978), p. 41; photo no. 40-2.