Fragment of vestment

In the Ottoman Empire the silk industry was concentrated in Bursa. Court workshops and those owned by wealthy merchants were concentrated there. Skilled weavers from throughout the empire, and indentured laborers under contract to weave a specified amount of cloth, were employed at the looms. Master-weavers taught apprentices and specialized in specific kinds techniques, such as brocade, velvet, and taffeta. In the Mediterranean, the silk industry of Bursa was rivaled only by that of Italy. Both silk industries supplied an international market although the Ottoman court was a constant and dominant customer of the Bursa looms. This silk fragment represents a design used for Armenian ecclesiastical vestments.