The textile collector Murad Megalli of Istanbul has donated 148 Central Asian ikats to The Textile Museum, Washington DC. The ikats are from Uzbekistan and date to the 19th century.
The donation includes 148 ikat coats, pants, cradle covers, hangings and fragments.
In announcing the gift, Director Daniel Walker said, “We are honored that Mr. Megalli chose The Textile Museum as the repository for such an important collection. The gift should be a point of pride for those who love the Museum, for it serves to validate that the Museum is worthy of support and remains a serieus collecting institution”.
As a reason for choosing the Textile Museum as a recipient of the gift Mr. Megalli said: “A key consideration in donating to The Textile Museum was conversations with Bruce Baganz, President of the Board of Trustees, and Director Daniel Walker. Their vision and enthusiasm convinced me that the collection would be used to further understanding of ikats within a cultural context”.
All of the textiles are silk ikats and a majority of them are coats produced in the urban centers of Uzbekistan.
Source: Press release From The Textile Museum 15 May 2006