Textile Fragment

Art Historical Context

This exquisite *Textile Fragment* from the 7th–8th century offers a rare glimpse into early Islamic artistry, crafted during the Umayyad or early Abbasid eras when textile production flourished across the Islamic world. Made of wool and linen in a tapestry weave—a labor-intensive technique where colored weft threads are woven back and forth to form discrete motifs without floats on the reverse—this narrow strip (max. 21 7/16 in. high by 4 in. wide) likely originated from a garment, curtain, or furnishing. Such fragments survive due to their use in wrapping mummies or as trade goods along Silk ...