Silk hanging from al-Andalus
Type:
Textiles
Date:
Late fourteenth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Spain
Medium:
Silk
Dimensions:
102 × 36.3 cm
Description:
This silk curtain is one of very few to have survived from the Nasrid period in al-Andalus and North Africa. Textiles similar to this one—and perhaps this example itself—adorned Nasrid palace walls during special occasions (e.g., the celebration of the Prophet's birthday). Its designs echo the ornament rendered in plaster, tile, and other materials throughout the Alhambra, for instance in the Palace of the Lions. As works of "ephemeral architecture," hanging textiles or curtains also contributed to the thousands of inscriptions already covering the surfaces of the Alhambra. The inscriptions on this example include the words "Felicity" (written twice, once in mirror image) and "Good luck and prosperity" (in cartouches).
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
10
Repository and Online Resources:
• Read more about this textile fragment on the website of the Metropolitan Museum.
