Tiraz Textile Fragment
Unknown Artist
dated A.H. 320/932–33 CE
Medium
Linen; plain weave, embroidered in silk
Dimensions
Textile a: L. 7 in. (17.8 cm) W. 11 3/8 in. (28.9 cm) Textile b: H. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm) D. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm) Mount: H. 11 1/4 in. (28.6 cm) W. 17 3/4 in. (45.1 cm) D. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George D. Pratt, 1931
Accession Number
31.106.55b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Tiraz Textile Fragment*, precisely to A.H. 320 (932–33 CE), offers a rare glimpse into the opulent textile workshops of the Abbasid Calate. Tiraz refers to inscribed luxury fabrics produced under royal patronage, often featuring embroidered bands with Arabic script that honored the caliph or commemorated the year of manufacture. These fragments, likely from garments worn by dignitaries, highlight the era's sophisticated administration and cultural prestige, bridging art and politics in medieval Islamic society. Crafted from linen plain weave and richly embroidered in silk, the...