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).
Publications online: 66 objects
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Textile fragment with lions
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Literature notes
This lion is one of three embroidered on a wide border sewn onto the bottom of a large fragment, probably a hanging. The textile is now very worn but he still presents a jaunty appearance with his raised front paw and uplifted tail. The lion in Mamluk heraldry was associated with the blazon of the Mamluk Sultan Baybars, who ruled from 1260-77, so we can assume that the embroidery dates from the early Mamluk period. On this fragment the lion and its circular frame have been worked in the same type of couching as for No.45 [EA1984.76], and its animated appearance has been increased by adding outlines in stem stitch in red silk. -
Details
- Associated place
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Near East (place of creation)
- Date
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late 13th century
Mamluk Period (1250 - 1517)
- Associated people
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probably Sultan Baibars I (ruled 1260 - 1277) (heraldry on object)
- Material and technique
- linen band, embroidered with blue and red silk; linen backing, embroidered with blue and red silk; joined with stitching in cotton and silk
- Dimensions
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26.5 x 10.5 cm (length x width)
ground fabric, along length/width 20 / 20 threads/cm (thread count)
backing, along length/width 20 / 20 threads/cm (thread count)
ground fabric .05 cm (thread diameter)
backing .03 cm (thread diameter)
additional fibre, embroidery 0.05 cm (thread diameter)
- Material index
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organic › animal › animal product › silk,
- Technique index
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woven › plain woven,assembled › woven › plain woven,
- Object type index
- No. of items
- 1
- Credit line
- Presented by Professor Percy Newberry, 1941.
- Accession no.
- EA1984.63
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Further reading
Ellis, Marianne, Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, in association with Greenville: Curious Works Press, 2001), no. 46 on. p. 67, pp. 68-70, illus. p. 67
Barnes, Ruth and Marianne Ellis, ‘The Newberry Collection of Islamic Embroideries’, 4 vols, 2001, Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, cat. vol. ii, illus. vol. i
Location
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- 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
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The Newberry Collection of Islamic Embroideries
A band of three lion blazons, blue with red outlines, is sewn onto a field of swirling rosettes and intersecting circles. The rosettes are blue, the circles have red chevrons at their intersection with each other.
The fragment is similar to EA1984.60 and EA1984.61, although the direction of the lions is reversed. Laid threads are couched down over surface satin filling stitches. Outlines are worked in stem stitch. -
Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt
This lion is one of three embroidered on a wide border sewn onto the bottom of a large fragment, probably a hanging. The textile is now very worn but he still presents a jaunty appearance with his raised front paw and uplifted tail. The lion in Mamluk heraldry was associated with the blazon of the Mamluk Sultan Baybars, who ruled from 1260-77, so we can assume that the embroidery dates from the early Mamluk period. On this fragment the lion and its circular frame have been worked in the same type of couching as for No.45 [EA1984.76], and its animated appearance has been increased by adding outlines in stem stitch in red silk.
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