Jeweled Islamic Textiles - Imperial Symbols

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1 University of Nebraska - Linoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Linoln Textile Soiety of Ameria Symposium Proeedings Textile Soiety of Ameria 2002 Jeweled Islami Textiles - Imperial Symbols Louise W. Makie The Cleveland Museum of Art Follow this and additional works at: Part of the Art and Design Commons Makie, Louise W., "Jeweled Islami Textiles - Imperial Symbols" 2002). Textile Soiety of Ameria Symposium Proeedings This Artile is brought to you for free and open aess by the Textile Soiety of Ameria at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Linoln. It has been aepted for inlusion in Textile Soiety of Ameria Symposium Proeedings by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Linoln.

2 Jeweled Islami Textiles - Imperial Symbols Louise W. Makie The Cleveland Museum of Art Soon after Islam was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the early 7th entury, his followers began spreading the faith. Within one entury, Islam had been arried aross North Afria to Spain and aross the Middle East to Central Asia. Great enters of ivilization developed in the politial apitals, suh as Damasus, Baghdad and Cairo, and later in Istanbul and Isfahan, aompanied by elaborate ourt eremonies to promulgate their wealth and power. Imperial eremonials were equivalent to theatrial settings, usually based on strit hierarhies and rigid protool, in whih luxurious textiles were vital symbols. Four overt textile symbols of imperial wealth and power - throne overs, throne room arpets, red-arpet reeptions, and robes of honor - will be onsidered here. All together, they provide insight into the original signifiane of extant Islami textiles whose status, given the omparatively few arhival tidbits, often hallenges evaluation. The doumented eremonial praties of the Ottoman Turks during their politial and artisti height in the 16th and early 17th enturies provide an illuminating framework for ondsidering other wealthy Islami ourts. The Ottomans preserved and doumented one of the largest treasuries in the world in the imperial Topkapi Palae in Istanbul. It ontains, for example, numerous fabris and more than three hundred and thirty imperial kaftans dating from the 16th and 17th enturies.1 About twenty perent of the kaftans are patterned, inluding foreign fabris dominated by Italian velvets, and some eighty perent are plain Figure 5)." In addition, traveler's aounts and historial miniature paintings have been onsulted. First, however, the signifiane of preious gems will be summarized. When the Arabs onquered the Middle East, gemstones already symbolized imperial power and wealth, espeially in Iran during the Sasanian empire ).3 Pearls and rubies enrihed lothing and arpets. Most renowned was the immense floor overing known as King Khosrau's spring garden arpet, whih was made around 600 for the imperial audiene hall at the palae in Ctesiphon. It ontained paths overed with gemstones flanked by blossoming trees and fruits formed with gold, silver, and preious stones. Was it a knotted pile arpet or an embroidery? 1 This author reorded 333 kaftans attributed to sultans Mehmet II through Mustafa II who ruled For Italian silks made for export to the Ottoman sultans, see this author in Nurhan Atasoy, Walter B. Denny, Louise W. Makie, Hulya Tezan, IPEK Imperial Ottoman Silks and Velvets, London, 2001, pp Prudene Oliver Harper, The Royal Hunter, Art of the Sasanian Empire. New York, R.A. Donkin, Beyond Prie, Pearls and Pearl-Fishing: Origins to the Age of Disoveries, Philadelphia, 1998, p. 94, tuni embroidered with pearls and rubies of King Khosrau II. 3 Qadi ibn al-zubayr, Book of Gifts and Rarities, trans, and annotated by Ghada al- Hijjawi al-qaddumi, Cambridge, MA, 1996, pp , nos

3 < Wealthy Islami dynasties ontinued to amass pearls and gemstones. along with gold and textiles, in their treasuries. Pearls were valued the highest and ame primarily from the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. They were identified by over forty terms in Arabi and Persian - more than in any other languages - aording to the great 1 1th entury Iranian sholar Al-Biruni and published in some fifty lapidary treatises.6 Later around the Mughal emperors of India divided pearls into sixteen ategories based on their size, olor, and luster.7 They also swathed themselves in large pearls and presented them as gifts. /- Pearls served symboli as well as mediinal roles. In some instanes, pearls even represented politial legitimay. For example, the so-alled "Great Pearl." admired for its "radiane and whiteness," was transferred from one dynasty to the next, the Umayyad to o the Abbasid, in 750. Huge pearl pendants within double rows of large pearls elebrate their revered status in the silk woven in Iran during the late Sasanian or early Islami period, in a omplementary weft twill with inner warps, or samit Figure 1). Today, pearls and preious gems rarely survive on textiles. Instead, they exist primarily as imitations, represented in various materials and tehniques, espeially before about Most designs with pearls evolved from imperial Sasanian images, and are believed to have onveyed royal assoiations. The most prestigious were undoubtedly rihly olored silks, suh as the 8th-entury prine's oat woven in Sogdiana in "samit" Figure 2). Less ostly woolen fabris in tapestry weave were also presumably available at ourt, suh as the omplete example from 9th-entury Egypt Figure 3). Two strands of large pearls demarate the field pattern featuring smaller strands whih frame birds. The Arabi insription states it was woven in a tiraz, or textile fatory. All four imperial textile symbols under onsideration share assoiations with throne rooms whih often exuded opulent displays of wealth and power. At the Ottoman ourt, jewels abounded in the furnishing fabris in the throne room of the Topkapi Palae. Throne overs were seleted aording to the oasion, inluding a ategory for show Figure 4). Aording to the Frenh jeweler Jean-Baptiste Tavemier in , the throne was usually overed for display with rih fabris and ushions studded with pearls, rubies and emeralds, and replaed by more omfortable furnishings when the in " ^ sultan arrived. Tavernier also reorded an illuminating hierarhy of eight throne overs, the seletion of whih was an overt politial statement readily understood by experiened ambassadors. "The throne is deorated with one of these overs, aording to how the Sultan regards the Sovereign whose embassy he will reeive, and he gauges his largess on the envoy whom he wishes to honor." The throne over hierarhy ontains six embroidered velvets and two broaded silks. The finest was blak velvet embroidered with large pearls, the seond was white - 6Donkin,p r* 1 Donkin, p. \l2,froma'in-i-akbari. 8 al-zubayr, pp , no Cleveland Museum of Art, ae. no , text: "In the name of God, blessing from God to its owner. What has been made in the tiraz." 10 Gulru Neipoglu, Arhiteture, Ceremonial, And Power, The Topkapi Palae in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries, Cambridge, MA and London, 1991, p

4 velvet deorated with rubies and emeralds, and the third was deep violet velvet embellished with turquoises and pearls. The next three were velvets in different olors "with rih gold thread embroidery." The last two, broaded silks, were desribed as having "their partiular beauty." These lowly silks are the most numerous today in the Topkapi and in other musuems Figures 5 and 6), Bold patterns featuring flora in medallions and undulating vines are woven in a ombination of satin and twill weaves, also alled lampas. Had Tavernier reorded the hierarhy during the peak of Turkish prodution in the 1500s, he might have inluded loths of gold taquete or seraser). In 1533, Sultan Suleyman the Magnifient was desribed as "seated on a slightly elevated throne ompletely overed with gold "" i i loth, replete and strewn with numerous preious stones." ' Tavernier's hierarhy raises the larger issue about the original status of surviving Islami textiles. Were they also imperial quality at the lower end of the hierarhy like the broaded silks ited above? Sine jewels abounded in many wealthy Islami ourts, we an hypothesize that jeweled textiles upstaged many of the patterned textiles that have survived. In another example of imperial power and intent, the seletion of arpets to be displayed in throne rooms was undoutedly determined by the politial oasion, as Tavernier indiated above. Silk arpets were often mentioned in the Topkapi Palae, sometimes embellished with gold thread and usually identified as Iranian. None has survived. However, historial Turkish miniature paintings provide additional evidene. For example, a medallion arpet studded with preious gemstones and pearls was featured when sultan Selim II reeived the envoy from emperor Maximilian of Austria between 1566 and 1574 Figure 7). Large rubies and emeralds deorate the entral goldthread medallion, orner medallions and borders, along with thousands of small pearls in the presumably silk Iranian arpet. Two European ambassadors even omplained about the jeweled arpets in the Topkapi Palae. One disliked the disomfort of walking on them. The jewels aused another envoy to loose his shoe during an audiene with the sultan, whih aused laughter amidst austere imperial silene.13 The Iranian prediletion for jeweled arpets, already noted in King Khosrau's spring garden arpet or floorovering, also ontinued in the early Islami period. Some were used at the apital in Baghdad that were adorned with pearls and threads of gold. Nothing has survived to the best of my knowledge, exept one arpet. In 1907, the Iranian onsul general in New York, H. H. Topakyan, gave President Theodore Roosevelt this little-known Iranian silk arpet with broaded gilt-metal thread I A and studded with seventy-five gemstones plus thousands of pearls Figure 8). Emeralds, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, Nouvelle Relation de VInterior dit Serrail du Grand Seigneur, Paris, 1675, pp ") ~ Neipoglu, p. 100, quoting Shepper. 13 Neipoglu, p Betty Monkman, The White House, New York, London, Paris. 2000, p. 197, ae. no , L. 5'9" x W. 3'8 1/4". A seond jeweled arpet assoiated with President Taft no longer exists, possibly burned in a house fire after his term. Jeweled "arpets" without pile are exluded, suh as the Indian "Baroda arpet." See Stuart Gary Welh, India, Art 94

5 aquamarines, tourmalines, rubellites, turquoises, and pearls are featured, plus the seedpearl fringe.15 It was probably woven in Tabriz in the late 19th entury. The quality is exellent. It has a high number of rug knots whih form the pattern, over eight hundred < asymmetrial knots per square inh, woven in eight olors of silk, many of whih have faded.16 The prayer rug design was preisely planned to feature large gemstones in the enters of blossoms surrounded by small pearls whih sometimes also form petals. The silk pile was omitted exatly where the gemstones and pearls are loated. Consequently, the plain weave foundation provided a smooth surfae for the gemstones, most of whih were drilled and sewn on. A tourmaline surrounded by one large and one hundred and ninety-seven small pearls forms the entral area of the lotus blossom in the upper-left orner of the border, and an emerald and two hundred and thirty-two small pearls form the lotus in the lowerleft orner. The Iranian poeti text, interrupted in the upper band by a trefoil omposed of three hundred and thirty-eight pearls,17 alludes to the offering of a humble gift. This exeptional arpet learly ontinues a highly aomplished and otherwise lost tradition. In another example of overt symbolism, arpets and textiles were laid out in the hundreds, if not thousands, in the renowned "red-arpet treatment" to onvey hospitality, wealth, and power Figure 9). Kings staged it for their own glory and for worthy dignitaries. Streets in ities and walkways in palaes were overed with thousands of ^~ 1 ft broaded silks and ostly arpets. In one example, Sultan Mehmet III held a red arpet elebration in Istanbul after suessful onquests in Hungary in Two years later in Isfahan, the Iranian king Shah 'Abbas staged a omparable display of power and wealth. "For some two English miles, the wayes [si] were overed all with Velvet, Sattin si), and loth of Gold, where his Horse should passe [si]," aording to Sir Anthony Sherley.19 In the most renowned red arpet treatment, textiles and arpets were used as a and Culture, , New York, 1985, and Christie's, Arts of India, 27 Sept. 2001, lot no For identifiation of gemstones and pearls, see Robin Hanson, Silk Tabriz Pile Carpet, The White House, report, National Park Servie Division of Conservation, Harpers Ferry Center, Feb ' The asymmetrial knot open on the right ount varies onsiderably, from x28) to x30) to x30) knots psi. Warps are ivory silk, I2Z, with alternate warps very depressed. Wefts are ivroy silk, I2S or I3S. The silk pile olors, many faded, are: light and medium olive-green, light-medium red, rust brownish red), brown, blue, yellow, and ivory. Gilt-metal strips are wrapped loosely around a pale yellow silk ore; the strips are mostly broken off and the silk ore is abraided. The selvedge has 4 ords, light green silk, I3S. A braided band sandwihes the ^ arpet ends and suspends seed pearls on metal threads. 17 Hanson, grid designations A2, A7, and B2. 18Neipog!u,p Sir Anthonie Sherley, "A Briefe Compendium of the Histori of Sir Anthonie Sherleys travels into Persia," Hakluytus Posthumus or Purhas His Pilgrimes, edited by Samuel Purhas, 20 vols., 1625, Reprint 1905, Glasgow & New York, vol. 8, p E

6 politial statement to symbolize the greater glory of Islam over Christianity/ This was staged in Baghdad in 917 at the Abbasid ourt by Caliph al-muktadir for ambassadors from Byzantium. Twenty-two thousand piees overed the orridors and ourts from the Offiial Gate to the Caliph, but this did not inlude "the fine rugs...spread over other arpets, and these were not to be trodden with the feet."" Were they jeweled arpets? Imperial Iranian silks imbued with symbols of imperial power ould have been displayed, suh as this sturdy 10th-entury "shroud of Saint Josse" Figure 10). Elephants rihly aparisoned with gemstones are framed by a amel aravan and oks in the *>^ omers. The insription identifies a ruler who died in 961." Seven olors are woven in "samit." Robes of honor are the final overt imperial symbol under onsideration. Rulers bestowed robes of honor on deserving government and military offiials, and at times on visiting ambassadors, based on their worth and importane, as Tavernier reorded ited above). Robes of honor, whih are not known to have jewels, were evaluated based on their quality and quantity. Numerous itations mention the quantity bestowed, whereas evaluations of their quality, suggesting the existene of an established and internationally reognizable hierarhy, are rare. In 1618, the Transylvanian ambassador Thomas Borsos wrote, "We went to say farewell to the [Ottoman] Sultan, but were not reeived in great honour. We were given 01 "~ "~ very poor kaftans and were not offered food."" In ontrast, Borsos observed that a Persian ambassador was given "a very beautiful kaftan, the kind worn by the Sultan himself," and members of his delegation also reeived about sixty "good kaftans." In his text, Borsos identified three qualities: "very poor kaftans," "very beautiful kaftan, the kind worn by the Sultan himself," and "good kaftans." Suh evaluations reveal that ambassador Borsos understood the overt symbolism onveyed by the quality of robes of honor bestowed as imperial gifts. Presumably both the quality and quantity were defined by a government doument, as ourred in Iran. There, a hierarhy of robes of honor, omposed of loth of gold for the highest rank and plain silk fabris for the lowest, plus the ordering proedure, was reorded in a ourt administration manuel in about Portraits of individuals wearing robes of honor are rare. The Hapsburg ambassador, Siegmund von Herberstein, ommissioned a woodblok print with suraption of himself dressed in the robe of honor that the Ottoman sultan Suleyman the ^n ~ For another example. Caliph al-ma'mum ) said, after reeiving a gift from the Byzantine emperor, "Send him a gift a hundred times greater than his, so that he realizes the glory of Islam and the grae that Allah bestowed on us through it," al-zubayr, p. 77, no Oleg Grabar, The Formation of Islami Art, New Haven & London, 1973, pp For silk "rugs" of Caliph Harun al-rashid in 809, see al-zubayr, p. 207, para. 302, fh. 5. ff} ' "Glory and prosperity to Qa'id Abu Mansur Bakh-takin, may God prolong his existene." fyy Veronika Gervers The Influene of Ottoman Turkish Textiles and Costume in Eastern Europe, Toronto, 1982, p Gervers 1982, p. 39, fn Patriia L. Baker, Islami Textiles, London, 1995, p

7 Magnifient presented him in 1541, omposed of inner kaftan of Turkish velvet and an outer eremonial kaftan of more prestigeous Italian velvet Figure 11). Later in 1622, Van Dyk painted the English ambassador Sir Robert Shirley wearing the robe of honor presented to him by the Iranian king Shah 'Abbas I, made of an opulent Iranian figural velvet with a gilt-metal thread ground Figure 12). In presenting robes of honor, Islami monarhs ontinued an anient tradition whih had been pratied sine at least 750 in Baghdad.26 In summary, the signifiane of jeweled Islami textiles has been onsidered through an Ottoman framework, after summarizing the imperial status of pearls. Ottoman throne overs, with a reorded hierarhy, served as a springboard for evaluating jeweled arpets, the red arpet treatment, and finally robes of honor. All together, they reveal that the most prestigious textiles in wealthy Islami ourts, whih often featured pearls and gemstones, served several signifiant roles. They projeted dazzling beauty, they symbolized wealth and power, and they onveyed imperial intent. 26 Dominique Sourdel, "Robes of Honor in 'Abbasid Baghdad During the Eighth to Eleventh Centuries," Robes and Honor, edited by Stewart Gordon, New York and Houndmills, England, 2001, p For a rare early portrayal, Mahmud of Ghazna dons a robe bestowed by Caliph al-kadir in 999, see N.A. Stillman, "Khil'a," The Enylopaedia of Islam, New Edition, ed. C.E. Bosworth et al, vol. V, pp

8 Figure I left) Silk Fragment of Pearls. Iran, 7th., "samit," Vitoria & Albert Museum, After P.O. Harper, The Royal Hunter. Art of the Sasanian Empire, New York, 1978, p Figure 2 above) Prine's Silk Coat, Sogdiana Central Asia), 8th., "samit," The Clevland Museum of Art, Purhase from the J.H. Wade Fund. I966.2a. Figure 3 Wool and Linen Tiraz, Egypt, 9th., tapestry. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purhase from the J.H. Wade Fund, Figure 4 Imperial Jeweled Silk Throne Covers, Turkey. Istanbul, a. 1600, silk embroidered with gems, pearls and gold, Topkapi Palae Museum.

9 r f< t < i Figure 5 Silk Kaftan. Turkey, Bursa or Istanbul, late 16th., "lampas," Topkapi Palae Museum, 13/584. After H. Tezan and S. Delibas. The Topkapi Saray Museum, Costumes, Embroideries and other Textiles, trans, expanded and ed. by J.M.Rogers, Boston, 1986, pi. 38. Figure 6 Silk Length, Turkey. Bursa or Istanbul, seond half 16th., "lampas." The Cleveland Museum of An. J.H. Wade Fund, Figure 7 above) Detail, Sultan Selim II Reeives Ambassador on Jeweled Carpet, Aount of the Seige ofszigetvar, Topkapi Palae Museum, H. 1339, fol. 178a, After N. Atasoy and F. Gagman, Turkish Miniature Painting, Istanbul, 1974, pi. 11. Figure 8 right) Jeweled Prayer Rug, Iran, Tabriz, a. 1890, The White House, , Gift of H.H. Tapakyan. 99

10 Figure 9 left) Imperial Moroan Red-arpet Reeption for President of Brazil. Moroo. Fez, early 1980s. After National Geographi Magazine, Marh, Figure 10 above) Silk Floor Cover Fragments. Iran, pre-961, "samit," Louvre Museum, After R. Ettinghausen, O. Grabar, and M. Jenkins-Madina, Islami Art and Arhiteture , Yale University Press, 2001, p Figure 11 Ambassador Siegmund von Hrberstein wearing Robes Presented by the Sultan in 1541, olored woodblok, Grataeposteritati Sigismundm liber Baro in Herbestein, Vienna, 1560, in Vitoria and Albert Museum, 86.B.67. Figure 12 Sir Robert Shirley wearing Robe Presented by the Shah, by Van Dyk, After P.L. Baker, Islami Textiles. London. 1995, p