Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

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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 band of pseudo-inscription, leaves, and vinesfront

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  • Textile fragment with band of pseudo-inscription, leaves, and vines (detail)
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Textile fragment with band of pseudo-inscription, leaves, and vines

  • Literature notes

    The detail shown here is taken from part of a band that is very similar to No.6 [EA1984.110] in style and materials, as well as in the way the elements of the design relate to kufic letters. Short inscriptions repeating generalised phrases such as "Victory comes from God" and "What God wiIls" are common on fine quality garments and scarves in the 12th century. Here embroidery follows the trend but the simulated writing is illegible. The stilted appearance of the scrolls also suggests that tapestry-woven textiles served as models; curves distorted by the constraints imposed by tapestry weaving have been copied by the embroiderers who had no such limitations. The fragment was probably part of a cloth that served as a towel or cover.

  • Details

    show all
    Associated place
    Africa › Egypt (find spot)
    Africa › Egypt › Cairo › Cairo › Fustat (possible find spot)
    Near East (place of creation)
    Date
    12th century (1101 - 1200)
    Fatimid Period (AD 909 - 1171)
    Material and technique
    linen, embroidered with red, green, and black silk
    Dimensions
    33 x 19.5 cm max. (length x width)
    along length/width 15 / 17 threads/cm (thread count)
    ground fabric 0.06 cm max. (thread diameter)
    ground fabric 0.04 cm min. (thread diameter)
    additional fibre, embroidery 0.05 cm (thread diameter)
    Material index
    processed material › textile › linen,
    organic › vegetal › fibre › flax › linen,
    processed material › textile › silk,
    organic › animal › animal product › silk
    Technique index
    woven › plain woven,
    assembled › woven › plain woven,
    needleworked › embroidered
    Object type index
    textile › cloth › towel,
    miscellaneous equipment › cover
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Presented by Professor Percy Newberry, 1941.
    Accession no.
    EA1984.523

  • Further reading

    Ellis, Marianne, Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, in association with Greenville: Curious Works Press, 2001), no. 7 on p. 19, p. 8, illus. p. 19

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

Location

    • currently in research collection

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Publications online

  • Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt by Marianne Ellis

    Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt

    The detail shown here is taken from part of a band that is very similar to No.6 [EA1984.110] in style and materials, as well as in the way the elements of the design relate to kufic letters. Short inscriptions repeating generalised phrases such as "Victory comes from God" and "What God wiIls" are common on fine quality garments and scarves in the 12th century. Here embroidery follows the trend but the simulated writing is illegible. The stilted appearance of the scrolls also suggests that tapestry-woven textiles served as models; curves distorted by the constraints imposed by tapestry weaving have been copied by the embroiderers who had no such limitations. The fragment was probably part of a cloth that served as a towel or cover.
  • The Newberry Collection of Islamic Embroideries by Ruth Barnes and Marianne Ellis

    The Newberry Collection of Islamic Embroideries

    A band containing an inscription embroidered green and red, with leaf and vine ornaments as background filler, as well as interlacing in black embroidery. The inscription has a border with black spiral design, as well as leaves or birds along the lower border. Technique and design are similar to EA1984.110.

    The textile probably was a pseudo-tiraz.
Notice

Object information may not accurately reflect the actual contents of the original publication, since our online objects contain current information held in our collections database. Click on 'buy this publication' to purchase printed versions of our online publications, where available, or contact the Jameel Study Centre to arrange access to books on our collections that are now out of print.

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