Tiraz Veil

Unknown

A.H. 373/983–84 CE · Silk; plain weave, tapestry weave · Islamic Art

Two opposed, embroidered bands of Arabic inscription in kufic script are the centerpiece of this silk veil. The inscription retains the style of those on tiraz woven in Abbasid workshops, taken over by the Fatimids when they established themselves in Egypt in A.D. 969. It begins with an excerpt from the Shahada (Muslim testimony of faith), and includes the name of the Fatimid caliph for whom the tiraz was made, al‑‛Aziz (ruled A.D. 975–96), and that it was woven in the state workshop in Tinnis on the Nile Delta in the year A.H. 373/A.D. 983–84. Foliated letters ending in half‑palmettes and a narrow band featuring pairs of confronted birds and floral designs enliven the composition.

Artist

Unknown

Date

A.H. 373/983–84 CE

Medium

Silk; plain weave, tapestry weave

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1971