Art Institute of Chicago

Tiraz Fragment

Egypt

Date

Fatimid period (969-1171), 11th century

Medium

Linen, tapestry weave

Culture

Egypt

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This fragment’s open, gauzy weave is a feature of Tiraz fabrics from Fatimid Egypt. Documents from the time describe textiles such as this one as having linen weaves as “thin as air.” In their complete form, Tiraz fabrics consisted almost entirely of this delicate linen weave, with a few bands of tapestry weaving at the edge, as seen here.

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