Description
Tiraz textiles - the word tiraz can be traced back to the Persian word for 'embroidery' - were highly valued in the early Islamic world. Inscribed with sacred invocations and the name of the ruling caliph, together with the names of administrators, the type of workshop in which the textile was made, the workshop's location and the year of manufacture, these textiles provide an invaluable window into the political, administrative and religious life of early Islam, as well as various traditions of textile production. Other textiles of the period, similar in style but uninscribed, were decorated with colourful medallions, depicting animals and other motifs. The large majority of the surviving fragments of tiraz textiles, which were originally given as robes of honour to courtiers and ambassadors, have been found in Egyptian tombs: most of the textiles examined in this book once belonged to burial outfits from the diverse religious communities in Egypt during the early Islamic period.
Featuring more than 180 textiles from The al-Sabah Collection, some never published before, this volume provides authoritative analysis not only of the textiles themselves, but also of the historical and cultural context in which they were produced. With hundreds of illustrations, including specially commissioned macrophotography, Textiles of the Early Islamic Caliphates is a landmark publication that will appeal to scholars and general readers alike.
About the Author
Jochen Sokoly is Associate Professor of Art History of the Islamic World at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar where he has taught since 2004, and as Gallery Director between 2005-2011 also curated numerous exhibitions on art and design, as well as lecture series.
Book Information
ISBN 9780500966051
Author Jochen Sokoly
Format Hardback
Page Count 552
Imprint Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Series The al-Sabah Collection