Textile with Arabesque and Palmette Design

Unknown

14th century · Cotton, plain weave; block-printed, mordant dyed · Islamic Art

The intricate tendril designs on this textile form elegant palmettes which enclose pearled borders and blooming heart-like buds in its interiors. This cotton textile which uses block-printing and mordant dye techniques points to the province of Gujarat as the place of production and a key center for the manufacture of textiles through the centuries. The ornamental features of this textile were meant to replicate luxury woven fabrics often found on the silks from Ikhanid Iran and Mamluk Egypt during the fourteenth century. Printed in Gujarat, this fragment not only represents Gujarat as a major exporter of printed and dyed textiles, but highlights the demand and taste for these textiles in Fustat, Egypt.

Artist

Unknown

Date

14th century

Medium

Cotton, plain weave; block-printed, mordant dyed

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Purchase, V. Everit Macy Gift, 1930