Artwork Page for Cap with Striped Inscribed Silk

Details / Information for Cap with Striped Inscribed Silk

Cap with Striped Inscribed Silk

1300s

Mamluk Sultanate

(Egypt or Syria)
Medium
Silk
Measurements
Overall: 11.4 x 16.5 x 16.5 cm (4 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1985.5
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Headwear was a key part of men’s outfits in medieval Egypt. This luxurious cap was made using a complicated weaving technique, with alternating panels depicting prancing animals, crescent moons, and Arabic script that reads, “Glory to our lord Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir,” the Egyptian ruler. The pale pink trim might have once been a bold shade of red. Such products were created in highly regulated workshops in Cairo and reflect Egypt’s continued flourishing textile industry. Muslim dynasties such as the Mamluks (1250–1517) were known for the lavish garments worn at court and gifted among elites as preferred symbols of honor and praise.
A round silk cap features vertical strips depicting crescent moons alternating with animals running in profile or Arabic script in cream against dark blue thread (see "Inscriptions"). Pink-beige trim runs around the cap and in lines up to a central point on top of the head from which extends down a cluster of threads.

Cap with Striped Inscribed Silk

1300s

Mamluk Sultanate (Egypt or Syria)

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