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 thuluth inscription
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Literature notes
This is the end section of a long embroidered diagonal band on a linen ground. It bears the phrase wa’l-‘izz wa‘ l-baqã, “glory and eternity [to the owner]" repeated along its entire length. Although much of the embroidery silk has perished, enough remains to show us the decorative qualities of thuluth script, which was fashionable for ornamental inscriptions in the Mamluk period and often seen on other media. Thuluth is a more formal and elongated version of naskhi script. On this band the bold lettering with characteristic tall verticals and graceful curves has created an impressive design. The couching is similar to that worked on Nos.45-47 [EA1984.76, EA1984.63, EA1993.99]. The choice of phrase and script suggests that this example too dates from the late 13th century. -
Details
- Associated place
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Near East (place of creation)
- Date
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late 13th century
Mamluk Period (1250 - 1517)
- Material and technique
- linen, embroidered with red silk
- Dimensions
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57 x 7 cm max. (length x width)
along length/width 22 / 26 threads/cm (thread count)
ground fabric 0.04 cm (thread diameter)
additional fibre, embroidery 0.07 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.
- EA1984.105
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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. 48 on p. 69, pp. 8 & 70, illus. p. 69
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
-
Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt
This is the end section of a long embroidered diagonal band on a linen ground. It bears the phrase wa’l-‘izz wa‘ l-baqã, “glory and eternity [to the owner]" repeated along its entire length. Although much of the embroidery silk has perished, enough remains to show us the decorative qualities of thuluth script, which was fashionable for ornamental inscriptions in the Mamluk period and often seen on other media. Thuluth is a more formal and elongated version of naskhi script. On this band the bold lettering with characteristic tall verticals and graceful curves has created an impressive design. The couching is similar to that worked on Nos.45-47 [EA1984.76, EA1984.63, EA1993.99]. The choice of phrase and script suggests that this example too dates from the late 13th century. -
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