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, |
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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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