Lampas Silk
14th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The pattern, which appears continuous, has been adapted to the system of ‘repeats’
needed to produce a textile. Each design unit contains an eight-pointed star, a quatrefoil
and two roundels. The compartments they form are filled with a variety of smaller motifs, from interlace patterns in green or blue to tiny knots and fleurs-de-lis.
Textiles with geometrical interlace of this type were mainly produced in southern Spain and North Africa. This example was probably made in south-west Spain in the 14th century, perhaps in Granada, which was the capital of the Muslim Nasrid dynasty from about 1232 to 1492.
Such silks were not only used in Spain. They seem also to have been popular in Italy. This piece formed part of a hanging behind a large wooden statue of the Virgin Mary in Florence. It was bought there in the 19th century.
needed to produce a textile. Each design unit contains an eight-pointed star, a quatrefoil
and two roundels. The compartments they form are filled with a variety of smaller motifs, from interlace patterns in green or blue to tiny knots and fleurs-de-lis.
Textiles with geometrical interlace of this type were mainly produced in southern Spain and North Africa. This example was probably made in south-west Spain in the 14th century, perhaps in Granada, which was the capital of the Muslim Nasrid dynasty from about 1232 to 1492.
Such silks were not only used in Spain. They seem also to have been popular in Italy. This piece formed part of a hanging behind a large wooden statue of the Virgin Mary in Florence. It was bought there in the 19th century.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk lampas weave |
| Brief description | Middle East, Textile. Silk lampas with a geometric pattern, south-east Spain (perhaps Granada), 1300-1400. |
| Physical description | An intricately designed geometric pattern predominately in red and yellow. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Previously thought to be from Almeria, Southern Spain. |
| 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). |
| Summary | The pattern, which appears continuous, has been adapted to the system of ‘repeats’ needed to produce a textile. Each design unit contains an eight-pointed star, a quatrefoil and two roundels. The compartments they form are filled with a variety of smaller motifs, from interlace patterns in green or blue to tiny knots and fleurs-de-lis. Textiles with geometrical interlace of this type were mainly produced in southern Spain and North Africa. This example was probably made in south-west Spain in the 14th century, perhaps in Granada, which was the capital of the Muslim Nasrid dynasty from about 1232 to 1492. Such silks were not only used in Spain. They seem also to have been popular in Italy. This piece formed part of a hanging behind a large wooden statue of the Virgin Mary in Florence. It was bought there in the 19th century. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1312-1864 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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