Tiraz textile with gold tapestry-woven inscription

• Accession Number:AKM669
• Place:Egypt
• Dimensions:51 × 34 cm
• Date:early 11th century
• Materials and Technique:pale blue linen tabby; with dark blue silk and gold-wrapped thread tapestry-woven inscription

• The Fatimid rulers of Egypt maintained large storehouses of objects, including costumes and textiles. These ranged from simple undyed linen with decorative bands to finely woven cloths with richly-coloured embroidered or tapestry-woven inscriptions and ornament. The most prestigious material was silk, but very little of this has survived in Egypt. Also of great value were textiles woven with gold filé, such as this one. It belongs to the group known as tiraz textiles, characterized by having an inscription band as the only decoration on a plain ground (for more information about this genre, see AKM670). The inscriptions generally name the ruler and invoke blessings on him and his ancestors. This textile bears the titles of the sixth Fatimid caliph al-Hakim, whose long reign began at the age of eleven. He is a controversial figure in history, praised for his positive deeds and demonized for his brutality. He is venerated by the Druze branch of Ismailism as divinely ordained.

Further Reading

Ultimately, some of the finest textiles, particularly those made as shawls and turbans, became the shrouds of wealthy persons buried in Cairo. Most of what we know about textiles up to the 13th century derives from excavated graves. As only certain types of materials and garments were appropriate for use as a shroud, our knowledge about the full range of textiles available at that time is limited. Nevertheless, much information about what garments looked like and how interiors (and tents) were furnished comes from descriptions in historical texts and literature, as well as from monumental painting and book illustration. These sources portray a world in which textiles played a key role in all aspects of life. Textiles were utilitarian, but they could also function as markers of one’s social status. Wealth was often measured in terms of the quality and quantity of garments one possessed, as indicated by dowry lists. Gifts of luxurious robes, some bearing the name of the caliph, were bestowed on persons whom the state wished to honour (khil’ah, “robes of honour”). These were usually silk, sometimes lined with expensive furs.

Not only did columns of richly clothed persons parade through the palace, but the architecture itself was also draped in colourful cloths bearing images of animals and even human figures. Curtains which could be changed with the seasons provided privacy. Mats and carpets paved the floors, and cushions of every size and shape ensured comfort in the absence of the rigid furniture found in the West. Most activities took place seated directly on the floor. Textiles were everywhere in evidence.           

This tiraz fragment from the Aga Khan Museum Collection probably came from an expensive turban. Gold used for minting coinage, manufacturing objects, and creating gold “thread” was under the control of the ruler. Fine textiles that incorporated gold were called qasab. The threads were made by wrapping very thin strands of gilded animal gut around a core of silk. The presence of gold thread on this textile indicates that it was made for a member of the royal household or as a special gift.

Along the upper edge are the remains of a fringe. Below it runs a decorative band with gold palmette scrolls on a blue ground. The gold inscription appears twice, the lower line being an inversion of the upper one. Unfortunately this inscription band is too fragmentary to reveal with certainty the name of the ruler. However, the words “Commander of the Faithful” (amir al-mu’minin) follow several words that could be read as “al-Hakim bi-amr Allah,” the full title of the Fatimid caliph (996–1021). The following transcription is composed of readings from both lines, which are the same but preserve different parts of the inscription, thus making it possible decipher most of the inscription.

Inscription:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم نصر من الله لعبد الله ووليه  (...) الامام (الحاكم) بامر الله امير المؤمنين. لا اله الا الله محمد (رسول الله)
Translation:
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Victory from God to the Servant of God and His Viceroy . . . the Imam (al-Hakim) bi-amr Allah, Commander of the Faithful. There is no God but Allah. Muhammad (is His messenger).

— Lisa Golombek

References
L. Golombek and V. Gervers, “Tiraz Fabrics in the Royal Ontario Museum.” In Studies in Textile History in Memory of Harold B. Burnham, ed. V. Gervers. Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum, 1977. ISBN: 9780888541925
L. Golombek, “The Draped Universe of Islam.” In Content and Context of Visual Arts in the Islamic World, ed. P.P. Soucek. University Park, PA and London: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1988. ISBN: 9781597407380
E. Kühnel and L. Bellinger, Catalogue of dated tiraz fabrics: Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid. Washington, DC: The Textile Museum, 1952.