MEDIEVAL MIDDLE EASTERN EMBROIDERY GALLERY



  1. "Winter", Roman Egypt, 4th century; Wool on wool and linen; Whitworth Art Gallery, T.1968.253

  2. Egyptian tiraz inscription, 10th century; Silk embroidery on linen; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, M.73.5.635

  3. Detail of an inscription, Tulunid period (868-905); 31.5 x 11cm Ashmolean Museum Oxford: Inv.Nr. 1988.47
    This photograph appeared in a review of Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt by Marianne Ellis posted at ANNE WANNER'S Textiles in History site.

  4. Embroidered Tiraz Inscription and detail; Abbasid period (10th century); Red silk embroidery, in cross-stitch, on a polished linen ground; Found in Egypt, KM 26741
    These appear as part of an on-line exhibit on Early Islamic Inscribed Textiles of the Egyptian textile collections at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology of the University of Michigan. There are also excellent exhibits of Indian and Egyptian printed fabrics and of late antique clothing.

  5. Tiraz Inscription in Black, 10th century; Linen embroidered in black silk; Bibliotheca Alexandrina Museum
    This photograph appears on the Eternal Egypt site, which has an excellent zoom feature if you are patient enough.

  6. Napkin, Fatimid period, 10th century; Linen embroidered in polychrome silk; Museum of Islamic Art
    This photograph appears on the Eternal Egypt site, which has an excellent zoom feature if you are patient enough.

  7. Fatimid-Jewelry Style Band, Fatimid period, 10th century; Linen embroidered in silk; Museum of Islamic Art
    This photograph appears on the Eternal Egypt site, which has an excellent zoom feature if you are patient enough.

  8. Part of a band, Fatimid period (969-1171); Linen embroidered with red, green, yellow and dark brown silk in split and couching; Ashmolean Museum Oxford: Inv.Nr. 1993.248
    This photograph appeared in a review of Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt by Marianne Ellis posted at ANNE WANNER'S Textiles in History site.

  9. Band of Ducks, Fatimid period, 11th century; Linen embroidered in polychrome silk; Museum of Islamic Art
    This photograph appears on the Eternal Egypt site, which has an excellent zoom feature if you are patient enough.
    This appears to be a tapestry woven band bordered by two embroidered (chain stitch?) tiraz bands.

  10. Band of Interlaced Knots: Ayyubid period (1171-1249); Linen, silk and flax thread embroidery in stem and couching stitches; Ashmolean Museum, Inv.Nr. 1984.119
    This photograph appeared in an article on the exhibit A Stitch in Time: Medieval Islamic Embroideries from Egypt posted at the Cloudband.com On-line Magazine.

  11. Arabesque Band with Inscription, 12th century; Linen embroidered in silk; Museum of Islamic Art
    This photograph appears on the Eternal Egypt site, which has an excellent zoom feature if you are patient enough.

  12. Two details of a sampler: Ayyubid period (1172-1249); Linen, embroidered with blue silk; Ashmolean Museum Oxford: Inv.Nr. 1984.479
    These photographs appeared in a review of Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt by Marianne Ellis posted at ANNE WANNER'S Textiles in History site.

  13. Ayyubid Band with Inscription, Ayyubid period, 13th century; Linen embroidered in silk; Museum of Islamic Art
    This photograph appears on the Eternal Egypt site, which has an excellent zoom feature if you are patient enough.

  14. Part of fragment, Mamluk period (1250-1517): Linen embroidered with blue cotton, in pattern darning and running stitch; Ashmolean Museum Oxford: Inv.Nr. 1984.154
    This photograph appeared in a review of Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt by Marianne Ellis posted at ANNE WANNER'S Textiles in History site.

  15. Square, Mamluk period (1250-1517); Linen embroidered with blue and pink silk: Ashmolean Museum Oxford: Inv.Nr. 1984.173
    This photograph appeared in a review of Embroideries and Samplers from Islamic Egypt by Marianne Ellis posted at ANNE WANNER'S Textiles in History site.

  16. Red and Blue Embroidery, Bahri Mamluk period, 13th century; red and blue silk embroidery on white silk; Museum of Islamic Art
    This photograph appears on the Eternal Egypt site, which has an excellent zoom feature if you are patient enough.

  17. Embroidered fragment, Lebanon, late thirteenth century; Embroidery in double-running stitch(?).
    This photograph appeared as part of the article 700 Year Old Maronite Mummies in The Journal of Maronite Studies.
    Photo courtesy of the Groupe d'Etudes et de Recherches Souterraines du Liban (1991) and the Maronite Research Institute

  18. Heavily embroidered dress, Lebanon, late thirteenth century; Polychrome embroidery.
    This photograph appeared as part of the article 700 Year Old Maronite Mummies in The Journal of Maronite Studies.
    Photo courtesy of the Groupe d'Etudes et de Recherches Souterraines du Liban (1991) and the Maronite Research Institute

  19. Pattern-darned fragment, Mamluk Egypt, 13th-14th century; Linen, plainweave, embroidered with blue silk thread; Ashmolean Museum, Oxford: Inv.Nr. 1984.176c
    This photograph appeared as part of the description of a former exhibit, A Stitch in Time: Medieval Islamic Embroideries from Egypt, posted at the Ashmolean Museum website.

  20. Roundel and detail, Mamluk Egypt, 13th-14th century; Linen, plainweave, embroidered with red, blue and yellow silk thread; Ashmolean Museum, Oxford: Inv.Nr. ?
    This photograph appeared in CIETA Embroidery Newsletter #4 posted at ANNE WANNER'S Textiles in History site.

  21. Embroidered fragment, Mamluk Egypt, 13th-14th century; Linen, plainweave, embroidered with red, blue and green silk thread in double-running stitch; Collection Bouvier: JFB M 143
    This photograph appeared in an article on the early history of cross-stitch, Cross: Cultural, posted at the West Kingdom Needleworker's Guild site.

  22. Quilted hat; Mamluk period, 14th century; Silk fabric quilted in red; Cairo Museum of Islamic Art
    This photograph appeared on a page of Mamluk caps posted at the Dar Anahita, an SCA site devoted to Middle Eastern topics.

  23. Embroidered and quilted hat; Mamluk period; Silk fabric appliquéd to linen and quilted, with additional embroidery in silk; Ashmolean Museum
    This photograph appeared on a page of Mamluk caps posted at the Dar Anahita, an SCA site devoted to Middle Eastern topics.

  24. Heraldic Blazon: Mamluk period, late 14th century; Linen, silk embroidery, slanted counted filling stitch, stem stitch; Ashmolean Museum, Inv.Nr. 1984.86
    This photograph appeared in an article on the exhibit A Stitch in Time: Medieval Islamic Embroideries from Egypt posted at the Cloudband.com On-line Magazine.

  25. Sword Bearer Blazon, Bahri Mamluk period, 14th century; Wool, appliqué and couching; Museum of Islamic Art
    This photograph appears on the Eternal Egypt site, which has an excellent zoom feature if you are patient enough.

  26. Polo Blazon, Mamluk period, 14th century; Wool, appliqué and couching; Museum of Islamic Art
    This photograph appears on the Eternal Egypt site, which has an excellent zoom feature if you are patient enough.

  27. Cup Bearer Blazon, Mamluk period, 14th century; silk appliqué on linen; Museum of Islamic Art
    This photograph appears on the Eternal Egypt site, which has an excellent zoom feature if you are patient enough.

  28. Embroidery Fragment; Bahri Mamluk period, 1250-1390; Linen, silk embroidery, double running and satin stitch, openwork in white linen thread; Victoria and Albert Museum
    This photograph appeared in a compendium of Near and Middle Eastern Textiles posted at the Dar Anahita, an SCA site devoted to Middle Eastern topics.

  29. Embroidered Hanging; Eastern Iran or Afghanistan, 14th century; Polychrome embroidery;
    This photograph appeared in a note about a textile gallery exhibit posted at the website for HALI, a publication devoted to oriental carpets and textiles.

  30. Sampler Fragment; Mamluk period, 1300-1420; Linen, silk embroidery (pattern darning); Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 48.1053
    This photograph appears in an on-line exhibit of samplers.

  31. Garment or Scarf Fragment; Mamluk period, C-14 dated 1395 AD +/- 40; Linen, silk embroidery, double running and satin stitch, pulled and drawn thread work; Ashmolean Museum, Inv.Nr. 1984.445a
    This photograph appeared in an article on the exhibit A Stitch in Time: Medieval Islamic Embroideries from Egypt posted at the Cloudband.com On-line Magazine.
    This piece can also be seen on the Mamluk embroidery page posted at the Dar Anahita, an SCA site devoted to Middle Eastern topics.

  32. Fragment with octagons; Mamluk period, 15th century; Beige silk ground, embroidered with yellow, green, brown, and black silk; Cairo Museum of Islamic Art
    This photograph appeared on a page of Mamluk embroidery posted at the Dar Anahita, an SCA site devoted to Middle Eastern topics.

  33. Embroidered fragment, Mamluk Egypt, 13th-14th century; Linen, plainweave, embroidered with silk thread; Ashmolean Museum, Oxford: Inv.Nr. 1993.357
    This photograph appeared as part of the description of a former exhibit, A Stitch in Time: Medieval Islamic Embroideries from Egypt, posted at the Ashmolean Museum website.

  34. Embroidered tunic front and details; Mamluk period, late 15th century; Linen embroidered with silk in several colors and techniques; Ashmolean Museum
    This photograph appeared on a page about a Mamluk tunic posted at the Dar Anahita, an SCA site devoted to Middle Eastern topics.

  35. Sampler; Mamluk period, 14th-16th century; Linen embroidered with silk in double-running stitch; Victoria and Albert Museum T.326-1921
    This photograph can be found on the Victoria and Albert Museum website by going to the Access to Images section, and searching for T.326-1921

  36. Sampler; Mamluk period, 15th-16th century; Linen embroidered with silk in double-running stitch and pattern darning; Victoria and Albert Museum T.135-1928
    This photograph can be found on the Victoria and Albert Museum website by going to the Access to Images section, and searching for T.135-1928

  37. Unknown origin, possibly Italian or Mamluk Egyptian, 15th-16th century; Embroidered in darning stitch; Textilmuseum St Gallen, Ikle Collection: Inv.Nr. TM 23958
    This photograph appeared in CIETA Embroidery Newsletter #6 posted at ANNE WANNER'S Textiles in History site.

  38. Heraldic Emblem: Mamluk period, late 15th-early 16th century; Wool, appliqué and couching; Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972.120.3, in the Timeline of Art History.

  39. Liturgical Vestment: Syria, 1534-1535; Silk and metal thread embroidery; Metropolitan Museum of Art, 14.137, in the Timeline of Art History.

  40. Textile, possibly a cushion cover; Turkey, mid-sixteenth century; Silk and metal foil-wrapped silk embroidered on compound satin ground; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, M.85.237.8

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Last updated 4 November 2005