Textile Fragment with Ogival Pattern

Unknown

14th century · Silk; lampas · Islamic Art

Influenced by Chinese and Mongol prototypes, this fragment shows a repeating pattern of an ogival vine scroll that undulates around Chinese-style lotus blossoms enclosing a naskh inscription. The inscription reads "The Sultan, the King," in mirror image, a reference to an unnamed Mamluk sultan. The combination of these elements—the Eastern origin of the design, an inscription invoking the ruling elite, and the sumptuousness of the fabric— were the most common characteristics of luxury textiles of the period, and the visual manifestation of the long-lasting trade relations between China and the eastern Mediterranean.

Artist

Unknown

Date

14th century

Medium

Silk; lampas

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Fletcher Fund, 1946