Featured What is this embroidered piece?

I bought this at a garage sale several years ago, and haven't been able to figure out what it is. My guess is that it's cut from the backing and then sewn into a dress, but I'm not sure that's right.

The entire piece is 14.5 inches wide and 20.5 inches long.

Thanks!

 

Sounds right to me.

 

After flipping the picture and running it through reverse image search, the machine shows me "waistcoats" and a few Islamic women's dresses that are full length, so much too long.

 

The central element looks like it might be an Ottoman "tughra", a type of signature.

 

I just looked it up, and found one that is very similar. This is turning out to be more interesting than I thought it would be!

 

The embroidery technique is also typical of Ottoman/Turkish work, with the background done in a type of chain-stitch.

It might be the back of a garment, perhaps a vest. I can't tell from your photos if the embroidery was done directly on the white fabric, or if they are separate panels that were attached.

Here is an example of Turkish embroidery that shows the same techniques -
https://www.1860-1960.com/z3017p0.html

 

I can see the central part being a front panel, the two on the side sleeve cuffs, and the top part a collar.

An Ottoman dress makes sense, with these parts on the underdress. They often wore coat-style overdresses which would leave parts of the underdress open.

 

It will be important to know if the embroidery was worked directly on the cloth in its current shape, or if they are pieces that may have been transferred. Can we see the other side of the cloth please?

If one piece, I was thinking it might be the back because much Ottoman clothing was open in the front (vests and coats), so the center embroidery would have to be divided.

 

I agree, it's meant to be cut apart and used as AJ says.

 

I'm not sure of the exact placement of the center piece (right down the center front of the dress?), but the others are definitely cuffs and a collar.

 

OK, now I understand what is being suggested - the cloth is just an intermediate stage in the process. But I wonder why it would have the armscyes cut out? I don't know enough about Ottoman tailoring methods to explain it.

 

Yes, that is how. Many Ottoman overdresses/coats have a deep V-neck.

Yes. Pre-embroidered parts to make life easier for an Ottoman dressmaker. Like a kit for an Ottoman dress.

 

haute couture dresses are made in exactly the same way, with embroidery specialists enbroidering certain parts ordered by the designer and being fixed later in the salon.

 

I do not interpret those curved areas on each side as armscyes, just excess backing fabric cut away.

 

The third photo in my original post shows the back of the piece - it's worked directly onto the backing.

 

Yes, everything that isn't embroidered won't end up on the finished dress.
To put it another way, only the embroidered parts are used for the dress.