Prestigious Textiles from Baghdad in Iberia? On Textile Inscriptions, Patterns and Looms
Abstract
The Arabic inscriptions of two early lampas fabrics refer to Baghdad as their place of production. However, their woven structures as well as an orthographic feature in one of the inscriptions indicate that they were produced on the Iberian Peninsula at the beginning of the twelfth century. How do we have to understand these references to the capital of the Abbasid empire? In this talk I will argue that the inscriptions, the patterns and the woven structures of the two silks allow three lines of inquiry: the construction of value in twelfth century Iberia, the transmission of weaving knowledge, and the representation of textiles in Islamicate legal sources, namely the Kitāb fī adāb al-ḥisba of al-Saqaṭī, who was the market inspector (muḥtasib) of Málaga at the end of the eleventh and beginning of the twelfth century. His ḥisba reveals detailed information about the quality of woven fabrics and previously unknown textile terminology relating to the medieval draw loom.
Date Issued
2023-04-12
Publication Type
Conference Item
Language(s)
de
Access(Rights)
metadata.only