They are not from Poland but rather from Persia , where they were made during the reign of Shah 'Abbas (1557- 1628). Many have survived to the present. Characteristic of them is that the red has faded entirely. Only deep in the knots can one get an idea of their once magnificent safflower red. In Ottoman court manufacture, safflower was apparently not used; at least none of Ottoman velvets and brocades has revealed carthamin according to the analyses made by R.Karadag and H. Bohmer. A valuable oil is pressed from the safflower seeds that has a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids and is thus considered to be especially healthy. For this reason, cultivation has expanded in recent years. The dried flowers are sold in Mediterranean countries as false saffron and sometimes to tourists as true saffron.
