Embroidered Textile with Three Saints

Unknown

12th century · Cotton; embroidered in gold wrapped thread and silk · Islamic Art

One saint wears a pallium over a chasuble, a style of dress that suggests a dating between the eleventh and the twelfth centuries. He is otherwise not vested as an ecclesiastic; the embroidery may therefore have originated outside Europe, possibly at a Coptic community in Egypt. On the other hand, the technique and the architecture, which have something in common with Carolingian art, may suggest a European origin.

Artist

Unknown

Date

12th century

Medium

Cotton; embroidered in gold wrapped thread and silk

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Edward S. Harkness, 1929