Tiraz Fragment

Unknown

ca. 892–902 · Silk warp and cotton weft (mulham); plain weave, embroidered · Islamic Art

Like many tiraz textiles, the kufic inscription embroidered across the central field of this fragment includes the name of the Abbasid caliph, al-Mu'tadid (r. 892–902), and phrases in praise of him and the Prophet Muhammad. A tiny inscription in the right margin contains the name Ibn Khushu'i, possibly the embroiderer. The silk and cotton woven fabric is referred to in the Arabic literature as mulham, which has been associated with Merv—the Abbasid capital of Khurasan in eastern Iran, now in Turkmenistan.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 892–902

Medium

Silk warp and cotton weft (mulham); plain weave, embroidered

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Gift of George D. Pratt, 1931