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Fragment

1200s–1300s

Egypt, Mamluk sultanate

(1250–1517)
Medium
Block printing on plain weave cotton ground
Measurements
Overall: 16.5 x 17.8 cm (6 1/2 x 7 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1929.845
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

The break in the bodies of two of the fish reveals that two blocks were used to print each fish.

Description

The Indian technique of patterning a textile by printing with carved woodblocks came to the Mamluk world as a result of trade with India. At Fustat, outside of Cairo, numerous fragments of Indian and Mamluk printed textiles have been found. Fish, repeated to form the entire design of this textile, were an indigenous Egyptian motif.
A square, beige colored cotton fragment with frayed edges, is patterned with rows of dark purple-brown fish. Each fish faces our right, its tail fin splitting into three points and with pointed fins above and below where the fin widens to the body. At the face, there are two whiskers around the mouth. The face is solid colored, while dots make up the body, interrupted only by a fin sticking out of the side.

Fragment

1200s–1300s

Egypt, Mamluk sultanate (1250–1517)

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