Ikat Fragment

Unknown

mid-11th century · Linen, silk; resist dyed (ikat), plain weave, tapestry weave · Islamic Art

Different regions, even different towns within the same region, specialized in distinctive textile products. Yemen was well known for a fabric with characteristic irregular stripes, known as ikat, which weavers in Egypt learned to imitate during the Fatimid period. This ikat textile, attributed to Egypt, bears bands of ornamental inscription flanking a central row of star‑shaped cartouches enclosing palmettes which alternate with ovoid cartouches containing griffins, all tapestry‑woven into the Yemeni‑style matrix.

Artist

Unknown

Date

mid-11th century

Medium

Linen, silk; resist dyed (ikat), plain weave, tapestry weave

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1927