Armenian (?) embroidered and brocaded silk velvet vestment fragment, the deep salmon velvet groun

Armenian (?) embroidered and brocaded silk velvet vestment fragment, the deep salmon velvet ground decorated with animals and vases in silk embroidery with silver metal brocade and with a central hieratic figure of the Madonna and Child against an elaborate mandorla with trailing vine 'frame' similarly worked. Possibly Esfahan, west Persia, 18th century or earlier, 17in. x 21in. 33cm. x 54cm. The style of the central group suggests one of the Eastern Orthodox churches, whilst the quality of the materials and workmanship indicate an Armenian origin. It should be remembered that the wise and tolerant Safavid Shah Abbas the Great gave the Armenian community in Persia the monopoly of the silk trade in the late 16th century as well as allowing them to build their own suburb of Esfahan with its cathedral of St George. This led to a thriving Armenian silk manufactory which included many ecclesiastical vestments; the most beautiful and famous of these is the late 16th century Marcy-Injoujian shorshar (the Armenian equivalent of a cope) now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, a superb example of so-called 'Polonaise' silk pile weaving.