Middle East, Textile. Fragments of lampas weave in silk and gilt thread, Al-Andalus (Spain), 12th century.

Brocade, woven in red and olive green silks and gold thread on a cream-coloured ground, with a design of wingless griffins and peacocks within lozenges and kufic characters.

Purchased in November 1894 from Fritz Baer for £10.

Date of receipt from Stores: 30th October 1894.

Authority for purchase: Mr. C. P. Clarke.

Neg. 25474.

These two small inscribed fragments of the same textile are important and rare survivors from Islamic Spain. The piece shows both a sophisticated level of weaving and an interesting design, typical of the taste for exotic mythological and real creatures which prevailed.

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).

Islamic Spain had a thriving silk weaving industry, but only a comparatively small number of pieces of the early medieval period survive. Designs of real and mythical animals and birds confined within circles and other geometric shapes, derive from earlier prototypes from the Near East and other silk weaving centres further East. The design is fairly complex with wingless griffins and peacocks within lozenges and a Kufic (a particular type of Islamic script) inscription above. This example is very finely woven and shows the degree of accomplishment which weaving had reached. Luxury textiles were highly prized, very expensive and often used as diplomatic and royal gifts. Apart from their intrinsic and artistic value, textiles were very portable compared to other, heavier or breakable, artefacts.

275&A-1894