Textile with a Pattern of Stars and Birds, Originally from a Cap
Unknown Artist
11th–12th century
Medium
Silk; samite
Dimensions
Textile: H. 5 in. (12.7 cm) W. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm) Mount: H. 7 3/4 in. (19.7 cm) W. 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm) D. 7/8 in. (2.2 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1946
Accession Number
46.156.11a
Art Historical Context
This delicate silk samite textile, dating to the 11th–12th, once adorned a cap in the Islamic world, showcasing the era's masterful weaving traditions. Measuring just 5 by 5¼ inches, its intricate pattern of stars and birds a celestial harmony, where radiant motifs float against a shimmering ground. Such designs were common in Islamic art,izing the heavens, paradise, and the beauty of creation, often drawing from poetic and spiritual inspirations. Crafted in samite—a luxurious weft-faced satin weave—the fabric gleams with a characteristic luster from its silk threads, prized for both durabili...