Earlier in the year I taught at the Politarchopolis University online. I taught a class on the history of Mamluk embroidery, and thought to share them here too. I have them saved as pdf documents.
Egyptian Mamluk embroidery pdf
Mamluk Egyptian charts & reading pdf
Happy to answer any questions!
This textile was made in Egypt between the 10th-15th century C.E. It is 21.5 cm long and 19 cm wide(the embroidery is 13 cm). It is linen embroidered in blue flax. The textile is in the Ashmolean Museum Accession number EA1984.539.
I have charted it up. It is available for download as a pdf-
ashmoleanzigzag (PDF)
Instead of asking how everyone else finds the chart, I did a handkerchief as a gift to Their Majesties Rowland and Tailltiu.
Have fun!
The Aga Khan Museum is currently having an exhibition called “The World of the Fatimids”. Running from March 10th to July 2nd.
One of the highlight pieces is this horn-
This horn is elephant ivory, carved in the 11th to 12th centuries in Fatimid ruled Sicily. It is carved with hunting scenes of mythical and real animals, which reflected the horn being used is hunting.The silver was later added in England during the 17th century. More information is available at the Aga Khan Museum website.
This textile is Egyptian, made between the 10th-15th century C.E. It is a base fabric of plain woven linen, embroidered in double running stitch in blue and brown silk.
The textile is 21 cm high by 18.5 cm wide, with three rolled hems. It is likely that this is a decorated end of a larger textile, possibly a sash. The textile is currently in the Ashmolean Museum.
There is not much left of the original embroidery, so I extrapolated what the chart would be completely filled.
Please let me know if there are any issues downloading the PDF.
The Bodleian Library has digitized a manuscript of Moses Maimonides‘s authorised work Mishneh Torah which had been written 1168 C.E. to 1178 C.E.
Containing 14 books with almost 1,000 chapters, Maimonides drew on the Mishnah, Tosefta, Midrash and Talmud. Considered one of the greatest works on Jewish theological studies meaning the Mishneh Torah is still studied today.
The manuscript can be seen here.
Another digitized manuscript from the British Library can be read here.
Maimonides other great work is the Guide for the Perplexed, a treatise using Jewish tradition (based on the Talmud etc) and rational philosophy.
This image is a 14th century illumination of the work, while the original was written around 1186 C.E to 1190 C.E. A popular translation done in 1903 is available for download here.
Recommended reading
Maimonides: The Life and World of One of Civilization’s Greatest Minds Joel L. Kraemer. Via Google Books.
Hebrew Scholarship and the Medieval World edited by Nicholas de Lange. Via Google Books.
Hebrew Manuscripts of the Middle Ages by Colette Sirat. Via Google Books.
Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewry: From the Golden Age of Spain to Modern Times edited by Zion Zohar. Via Google Books.
I am sorry about not posting this year. My husband and I have just stepped up as Baron and Baroness of our group. There was much frantic sewing and organising.
Since this challenge has been overcome, I will provide a new chart on this blog to challenge you!
This textile was made in Egypt, between the 10th-15th century C.E. It is plain woven linen, size 12 cm by 17.5 cm, and embroidered in blue flax. There is a selvedge on the right side of the textile. It can be found in the Ashmolean Museum EA 1984.560
I have charted it up, but the less than whole textile shows that there was another “zigzag” design at the bottom (there is a crescent seen on the bottom left). I am unable to work out if another full zigzag was done, or a repeat on the capping zigzag. I look forward to hearing your opinions on it!
This textile is plain tabby woven linen, 11.5 cm by 7.8cm and embroidered in red silk. The textile was thought to have been made between the 10th-15th century C.E and found in Egypt. Currently the textile can be found in the Ashmolean Museum Accession number EA1993.193. I have charted up the design & is available for download in pdf format.
ashmoleanbirdsalternating PDF
◊
This textile is also plain woven linen embroidered with red silk, 10th-15th century C.E. found in Egypt. The size is 43 cm by 47 cm. However, there is a selvedge on the left hand side of the textile. It is currently in the Ashmolean Museum Accession number EA1993.195. I have charted up the embroidery design. It is available for download as a pdf.
ashmoleanleftfacingbirds PDF
◊
This textile is also plain woven linen embroidered with silk (blue), 10th-15th century C.E. from Egypt. It is 21 cm by 17 cm with a crude seam on the right side of the textile, sewn with flax. The textile is in the Ashmolean Museum Accession number EA1993.185. I have charted up the design and it is available for download in pdf format.
ashmoleanrightfacingbirds
◊
This textile is like the previous- plain woven linen embroidered with red silk, made between the 10th-15th century C.E in Egypt. The size is 18 cm by 11.7 cm with a rolled hem in flax on the left side of the textile. It is currently in the Ashmolean Museum Accession number EA1993.194. The chart is available as pdf to download.
ashmoleandoublebirds PDF
Please let me know how the charts go! For more information on bird symbolism please read Birds in Islamic Culture (blog), The Conference of the Birds, and The Simurgh.
This textile was thought to have been made in Egypt between the 10th to 15th century C.E. It is tabby woven linen embroidered in dark blue silk in double running stitch. The design is 9.3cm wide, while the whole textile is 20 cm by 22 cm. There is a selvedge on the right side of the textile. It is currently in the Ashmolean Museum, EA1984.546.
I have charted up the design for use. It’s in PDF format. Let me know how it goes!
ashmoleancrossesindiamonds PDF
This textile was thought to have been made between the 10th and 15th century C.E. in Egypt. It is plain woven linen, embroidered in double running stitch in blue and pink silk. There are three rolled hems along the top, bottom, and right hand side of the textile. It is 19.5 cm wide by 12.5 cm high.
It is currently in the Ashmolean Museum, accession number EA1984.408.
I have charted up the design. It is available as a pdf.
ashmoleanblueandpinkquatrefoils PDF
Good luck!
This textile is thought to have been made between the 10th and 15th century C.E. in Egypt. The dimensions are 18 cm by 19 cm, with the ground fabric of tabby woven linen embroidered in running and double running stitch in blue and red silk. There is a selvedge along the top of the textile.
It can be found in the Ashmolean Museum, Accession number EA1993.206
I have charted the design. It is available to download as a pdf document.
ashmoleanquartrefoilsandstems PDF
Let me know how it goes!
Miriam's Middle Eastern Research Blog 