Headscarf

In the pictureOne end of a headscarf made of two cream linen panels joined down the middle is spread out. Along both side borders, hexagons enclosing S-shapes are stacked vertically. The center of each panel is divided by cross-shaped bands, and each compartment holds flowers in a vase, a symmetrical floral motif or a tree with spreading branches. Below them is a band with three roosters per panel, each standing on a square base, and below that a band in which small birds alternate with plants. At the very bottom are a band of vertical stripes and thick tassels mixing orange, green and purple threads.

BackgroundThe Met's records give the place of manufacture as Palestine and the date as the 19th century; the whole piece measures 231.8 cm long and 81.9 cm wide. The photograph appears to show one tasseled end of this long cloth. The materials are linen and silk, and it is tagged with the subject keyword bird. It was given by E. L. Wade in 1955. Joining two panels appears to have been a way to make wide use of cloth woven on a narrow loom. The vase and tree motifs are mirrored left to right between the two panels, but all six roosters face the same way.

Puzzle tipThe pattern is organized into compartments and rows, so it works well to assemble it row by row. First set up three vertical columns from the central seam and the hexagon borders on both sides, then draw horizontal guidelines with the rows of roosters and square bases. The colorful tassel pieces at the bottom have a different texture and gather easily. In the band of small birds, birds and plants alternate, so count the intervals as you join them. The vases and symmetrical flowers are reversed left to right between the two panels, so check them against the preview; it makes a good 100-piece puzzle.