Embroidered Trouser Cuff Fragment (Nakshe)

A fragment of a cuff, or nakshe, used as a pair to make the trousers worn by Iranian women until skirts became more fashionable in the 1870s. The plain dense cotton weave is tightly embroidered with polychrome silk in narrow diagonal stripes filled with floral design that is evocative of Persian rugs. Its reduced size no doubt intended for wearing under a skirt where it needed to cover only the ankles.