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Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt

A selection of 10th to 16th century embroideries from the Newberry collection at the Ashmolean by Marianne Ellis (published Oxford, 2001).

Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt by Marianne Ellis

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Textile fragment with interlacing scrolls and knotted pattern

  • Literature notes

    It is difficult to assess how representative any collection of embroidery is of a particular period, but the number of examples thought to date from the 12th century suggests that embroidery was a popular way of decorating textiles at this time. This example demonstrates the versatile nature of the craft, making it particularly successful in reproducing the intricate interlaced motifs so typical of Islamic art. The interlaced knots are copied from the ornamental script known as plaited kufic, but in this pattern only echoes of the letter forms themselves remain. Here smooth lines pass over and under each other in a realistically knotted manner against a dense red or brown background of irregular filling stitches. The worker has used the textural quality of embroidery to produce a stunning effect. The curvilinear lines are worked in stem stitch. In the case of the roundel, the stem stitch outline of blue silk lying between outlines of white linen threads accentuates the pattern. The other stitching is a type of couched work frequently used on Egyptian embroideries of this date and earlier and described as "thread couched by itself". The embroiderer makes a single straight, slanted or curved stitch and then catches it down with one or more small ones, depending on the length of the original stitch.
  • Details

    Associated place
    Africa Egypt (find spot)
    AfricaEgyptCairoCairo Fustat (possible find spot)
    Near East (place of creation)
    Date
    2nd half of the 12th century - 13th century
    Ayyubid Period (1169 - 1260)
    Material and technique
    linen, embroidered with coloured silk, and flax or possibly cotton
    Dimensions
    23.5 x 4.5 cm (length x width)
    ground fabric 0.02 cm (thread diameter)
    additional fibre, embroidery 0.05 cm (thread diameter)
    Material index
    organicvegetalfibreflax linen,
    organicvegetalfibre flax,
    Technique index
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Presented by Professor Percy Newberry, 1941.
    Accession no.
    EA1984.119
  • Further reading

    Ellis, Marianne, Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, in association with Greenville: Curious Works Press, 2001), no. 8 on p. 20, illus. p. 20

    Barnes, Ruth and Marianne Ellis, ‘The Newberry Collection of Islamic Embroideries’, 4 vols, 2001, Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, cat. vol. ii, illus. vol. i

Location

    • currently in research collection

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Publications online

  • Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt by Marianne Ellis

    Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt

    It is difficult to assess how representative any collection of embroidery is of a particular period, but the number of examples thought to date from the 12th century suggests that embroidery was a popular way of decorating textiles at this time. This example demonstrates the versatile nature of the craft, making it particularly successful in reproducing the intricate interlaced motifs so typical of Islamic art. The interlaced knots are copied from the ornamental script known as plaited kufic, but in this pattern only echoes of the letter forms themselves remain. Here smooth lines pass over and under each other in a realistically knotted manner against a dense red or brown background of irregular filling stitches. The worker has used the textural quality of embroidery to produce a stunning effect. The curvilinear lines are worked in stem stitch. In the case of the roundel, the stem stitch outline of blue silk lying between outlines of white linen threads accentuates the pattern. The other stitching is a type of couched work frequently used on Egyptian embroideries of this date and earlier and described as "thread couched by itself". The embroiderer makes a single straight, slanted or curved stitch and then catches it down with one or more small ones, depending on the length of the original stitch.
  • The Newberry Collection of Islamic Embroideries by Ruth Barnes and Marianne Ellis

    The Newberry Collection of Islamic Embroideries

    A band of very intricate interlace, forming double scrolls and knotted patterns. These designs are all against a brown background; in addition there are three interlace roundels, red with the interlacing in white and blue.

    The outlines of interlace and scrolls are flax stem stitches, the background is couched.

    The band has an uncalibrated radiocarbon date of 1114 AD +/- 35, but the calibrated result is 1150 to 1280. On stylistic grounds an Ayyubid period date is likely.
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