Woven Silk
14th or 15th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Satin band, woven in gold thread along the centre with a simulated Kufic inscription on a red ground; along either side runs the repeating Arabic inscription "Glory to the All-powerful Lord" in red silk on a white ground, bordered by narrow bands in green, red, blue and white.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Woven silk
Dye samples of this textile were analysed as part of the project “Caracterización de las producciones textiles de la Antigüedad Tardía y Edad Media temprana: tejidos coptos, sasánidas, bizantinos e hispanomusulmanes en las colecciones públicas españolas” (“Characterization of Late Antique and Early Medieval textile production: Coptic, Sasanian, Byzantine and Spanish Muslim textiles in Spanish national collections”) (HAR2008-04161) directed by Dr Laura Rodríguez Peinado, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Dpt. de Historia del Arte I (Medieval). Analysis was conducted by Enrique Parra at the Alfonso X El Sabio University, Madrid. The dyes were analysed through high- performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), extracting threads with a thickness varying between 5 and 1mm by means of 100 µL of methanol/hydrochloric acid/water 1:2:1.
The results for this textile were as follows:
Green - Indigo
Red - Madder
White - X
Blue - Indigo
Baudruche - Silk threat with silver / gold guilding |
| Brief description | 1400s, Hispano- Moresque |
| Physical description | Satin band, woven in gold thread along the centre with a simulated Kufic inscription on a red ground; along either side runs the repeating Arabic inscription "Glory to the All-powerful Lord" in red silk on a white ground, bordered by narrow bands in green, red, blue and white. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions | (Arabic inscription, translation taken from the registers.)
|
| Gallery label | Jameel Gallery
Silk with Arabic Inscription
South-east Spain, possibly Granada
1300–1400
This silk textile combines two types of Arabicscript. In the narrow borders the phrase ‘Glory to our lord the sultan’ is repeated in a flowing cursive style. In the widest band, a short inscription in Kufic script reads ‘Perpetual sovereignty’. The uprights of the Kufic letters form an intricate knot pattern. The repetition ofthese phrases creates the illusion of a long calligraphic frieze.
Silk and metal-wrapped thread in lampas weave
Museum no. 829-1894
(2012) |
| Object history | Acquired as part of a collection of textile fragments from M. Stanislas Baron, for the price of 800 francs. A portion of the collection was purchased by the Manchester School of Art. Registered as nos. 828 to 851-1894. Neg. 67753 Price: £31.2.6 (taken from the registers). |
| Historical context | Samples of coloured threads from this object have been taken and are being analysed as part of a collaboration between the V&A and the Spanish Research project "Caracterización de als producciones textiles de la Antigüedad Tardía y Edad Media temprana: tejidos coptos, sasánidas, bizantinos e hispanomusulmanes en las colecciones públicas españolas" ("Characterization of Late Antique and Early Medieval textile production: Coptic, Sasanian, Byzantine and Spanish Muslim textiles in Spanish national collections") (HAR2008-04161) directed by Dr Laura Rodríguez Peinado, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Dpt. de Historia del Arte I (Medieval). |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 829-1894 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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