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This is one of two of the largest, most complete, and most ornate curtains to survive from the 1300s when it presumably hung in the royal Alhambra Palace in Granada, the last Muslim stronghold in Spain. Its style, artistic vocabulary, and harmonious proportions reflect the magnificent wall decoration in the Alhambra. The motto of the ruling Nasrid dynasty, "There is no conqueror but God," is inscribed in the end borders and central panel. The inscribed striped silk forming the central panel is more worn, suggesting that it was recycled, most likely during the 1300s.

Luxuriance: Silks from Islamic Lands, 1250–1900. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 14, 2013-June 23, 2014).

Luxuriance: Silks from Islamic Lands, 1250–1900

Al-Andalus: The Art of Islamic Spain. Alhambra, Granada, Spain (March 18-June 7, 1992); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY (July 1-September 27, 1992).

(Miguel Rodriguez-Acosta, Granada, Spain, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)

The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Drawloom Textiles

Silk curtain from the Alhambra palace

View Textiles

Join the Textile Art Alliance

The internationally renowned textile collection contains about 4,500 textiles from 62 countries around the world that were made over four millennia, from 2000 BCE to the present. The general emphasis is on masterpiece quality rather than comprehensive collections, with the greatest strengths dating before 1500. The most distinguished areas include textiles from Islamic lands (Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Spain, and Turkey), medieval China, Central Asia, and Italy as well as early lace and Peruvian South Coast textiles. In addition, contemporary fiber art is becoming increasingly important.Contact the department at <a class="spamspan" href="mailto:textilesandislamicart@clevelandart.org">textilesandislamicart@clevelandart.org</a><a class="spamspan">. </a>