Artwork Page for Fragment of a Woodblock Print on Linen

Details / Information for Fragment of a Woodblock Print on Linen

Fragment of a Woodblock Print on Linen

1200s–1300s

Mamluk Sultanate

(Egypt)
Medium
pigment, linen
Measurements
Overall: 20.5 x 11.9 cm (8 1/16 x 4 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of George D. Pratt 1929.907
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Egypt remained an active hub of textile production and trade under the rule of the Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517), a Muslim dynasty. In the block-print technology used on this textile, multiple carved wooden blocks impress patterns on cotton or linen fabrics. Artisans used separate blocks to transfer the round medallions, create the stars, and apply the interlocking motif at the fragment’s center. The inner medallion inscription reads “the sultan” in an abbreviated Arabic spelling. Block-printed textiles were in high demand around the Mediterranean and Red Sea regions, with many produced in Egypt and others imported from western India.
A vertical woodblock-printed fragment depicts two large circular medallions on tan linen. Each medallion features central script and a border of dots, ringed by radiating leaf-like shapes. Two six-pointed stars with nested circles sit between them, while knotted motifs occupy the surrounding gaps. The dark brown ink remains bold against the fabric, which is heavily frayed and irregular along the bottom and right edges.

Fragment of a Woodblock Print on Linen

1200s–1300s

Mamluk Sultanate (Egypt)

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