The art of silk, for which Genoa has been one of the most important centres in Europe since the fifteenth century, is represented in the Textile Collections by a number of velvet artefacts, partly of local production, in addition to textured silk fabrics from the 17th and 18th century, including satins, damasks and lampases, characterised by complex lavish patterns, and intended for the clothing of members of the aristocracy and as decoration for noble palaces or for the church. There are also a large number of remarkable embroidered artefacts, testament to an art form that reached the height of excellence in Genoa between the 16th and 18th century; these include some Renaissance and Baroque pieces and several 18th century embroideries. There is also a set of embroidered napkins of Ottoman production dating back to the 19th century, evidence of the centuries-old connection between Genoa and the Turkish world.