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The Egyptian Art of the Tiraz in Fatimid Times

Publication Type  Article
Year of Publication  2020
Date Published  2020
Authors  O’Kane, Bernard
Key Words  Egyptian Art; Tirazan Fatmid times; flax; linen; textile industry;
Full Text  

Known as the “granary” of Rome in Pre-Islamic times, Egypt’s fertile agrarian base also enabled it to be the pre-eminent grower of flax in pre-modern times. In the Mediterranean and beyond, the country was by far the largest producer of linen, a commodity so vital that it not merely underpinned the textile industry but was also the linchpin of the whole economy.1 Most surviving Egyptian textiles are made of linen, twenty-two varieties of which are known from the Geniza docu ments.2 Linen,
unlike silk or cotton, is dye-resistant, making painting on it difficult. Most inscriptions on linen were therefore embroidered, usually in silk,3 in a simple chain stitch. The variety of embroidery stitching later expanded, allowing for more ambitious calligraphic details than were possible with the simple chain stitch.


The Egyptian Art of the Tiraz in Fatimid Times

Known as the “granary” of Rome in Pre-Islamic times, Egypt’s fertile agrarian base also enabled it to be the pre-eminent grower of flax in pre-modern times. In the Mediterranean and beyond, the country was by far the largest producer of linen, a commodity so vital that it not merely underpinned the textile industry but was also the linchpin of the whole economy.1 Most surviving Egyptian textiles are made of linen, twenty-two varieties of which are known from the Geniza docu ments.2 Linen,
unlike silk or cotton, is dye-resistant, making painting on it difficult. Most inscriptions on linen were therefore embroidered, usually in silk,3 in a simple chain stitch. The variety of embroidery stitching later expanded, allowing for more ambitious calligraphic details than were possible with the simple chain stitch.

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