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Striped Silk from a Garment

1400s
silk; lampas weave
Overall: 54.2 x 27.6 cm (21 5/16 x 10 7/8 in.); Mounted: 61.6 x 27.6 cm (24 1/4 x 10 7/8 in.)
Bequest of James Parmelee 1940.609
Location: not on view
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Description

Arabic inscriptions had religious significance to viewers regardless of their legibility. This text repeats "Glory to our Lord the Sultan," a phrase that also enhances the Alhambra Palace walls. For Muslims, Arabic texts symbolized the divine revelation of God’s word to the Prophet Muhammad and recorded in the holy Qur’an; for Spanish Catholics it represented the Holy Land. In striped silks, inscriptions often alternate with interlacing bands and palmettes. Inscribed silks have survived as Catholic church vestments.
Striped Silk from a Garment

Striped Silk from a Garment

1400s

Spain, Granada, Nasrid period

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