Islamic Influence in Italian Textiles 1300-1600

THL. Alisandre de la Chapelle

V1.75

July 2022

Islamic Influence on Italian Textiles

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Background

Introduction of Islamic Motifs

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• Scrolling Vines
• Islamic Examples
• 14^th century
• 15^th century
• 16^th century
• Lotus Flowers and Fantastical Animals
• Islamic Examples
• 14^th century
• 15^th century
• The Ogee
• Islamic examples
• 14^th century
• 15^th century
• 16^th century
• The Pomegranate
• Islamic Examples
• Pre-14^th century
• 14^th century
• 15th century
• 16^th century

Mediterranean Trade Routes in the Middle Ages

The Byzantine Style

Woven silk

700-900 Byzantine Empire

Victoria and Albert Museum Accession No. 558&A-1893

Compound twill woven in silk and gold thread, with paired griffins in circles

1250-1399 Italian, possibly Venice

Victoria and Albert Museum Accession No. 1293-1864

Islamic Motifs in Textiles: Scrolling Vines

Silk lampas with scrolling vines & grape leaves

Early 1300s Ilkhanid (Iran)

Cleveland Museum of Art Accession No. 1926.509

Textile with birds, leaves and arabesques

1300s Ilkhanid (Iran)

Metropolitan Museum of Art Accession No. 46.156.43

Islamic Motifs in 14^th c. Italian Textiles: Scrolling Vines

Silk lampas with scrolling vines & grape leaves

Early 1300s

Il Khanid (Iran)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Accession No. 1926.509

Silk fragment with scrolling vines

1325-1350 Italy

Cleveland Museum of Art

Accession No. 1971.75

Silk lampas with gold thread

1350-1399 Italy

Cleveland Museum of Art

Accession No. 1940.1193

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Silk with dogs and birds amid vines

1350-1399 Italy

Cleveland Museum of Art

Accession No.1977.14

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Islamic Motifs in 15^th c. Italian Textiles: Scrolling Vines

Silk and Metal thread

Mid 15 c. Italian

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Accession no. 26.231.4,5

Above: Velvet, cut voided & brocaded

15^th century Italy

Cleveland Museum of Art Accession No. 1918.252

Velvet fragment

Early 15^th century Italy

Cleveland Museum of Art

Accession No. 1931.63

Left: Velvet with design of large palmettes

15^th century Italy

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Accession no. 25.201

Islamic Motifs in 16^th c. Italian Textiles: Scrolling Vines

Panel of velvet

Second half of 16^th c. Italy

Metropolitan Museum of Art Accession No. 44.55.1

Knit jacket, front

Early 1500s Italy

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Accession no. 46.156.117

Silk and cotton piece

16^th century

Italy

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Accession No. 36.90.1004

Islamic Motifs in Textiles : Lotus Flowers & Fantastic Animals

Fragment of silk & gold thread lampas weave

13^th-14^th century Central Asia

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Accession No. 1973.269

Fragment of silk & silver-gilt lampas

1300-1400

Italian

Victoria and Albert Museum

Accession No. 832-1894

Silk lampas with gold metal thread

14^th century Iran

Victoria & Albert Museum

Accession No. 8361-1863

�Silk; warp faced plain weave

13^th century Syria

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Accession No. 47.15

Islamic Motifs in 14^th c. Italian Textiles :�Lotus Flowers and Fantastic Animals

Fragment of silk damask

14^th century Italy

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Accession No. 17.121.6

Fragment of silk & gold thread lampas weave

1300-1400 Italian

Detroit Institute of the Arts

Accession No. 41.88

Fragment of silk & silver-gilt lampas

1300-1400 Italian

Victoria and Albert Museum

Accession No. 832-1894

Islamic Motifs in 15^th century Italian Textiles: �Lotus Flowers and Fantastical Animals

Left: Textile with Figures and Animals

15^th century Italian, probably Lucca

Metropolitan Museum of Art Accession No. 39.21.2

Chasuble Fragment with Realistic Animals

c 1420 Italy

Cleveland Museum of Art Accession No. 1947.294

silk fragment lampas weave with gold thread

1425-1450 Italy

Cleveland Museum of Art Accession No. 1971.69

Islamic Motifs in Textiles: The Ogee

Textile fragment with ogival pattern

1300s Egypt or Syria

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Accession No. 46.156.17

Upper Garment fragment

14^th or 15^th century Mamluk

Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Accession No. I 3191 a

Fragment with peacocks in ogival pattern

1175-1225 Iran or Syria

Cleveland Museum of Art Accession No. 1939.506

Islamic Motifs in 14^th century Italian Textiles: The Ogee

below: Silk lampas fragment

1375-1399

Italy

Cleveland Museum of Art

Accession No. 1941.391

Above: Woven Silk and Gold

14^th century/early 15^th c Italy

Victoria and Albert Museum

Accession No. 902.1899

Above: Textile silk and metal thread

14^th century

Italy

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Accession No. 46.156.55

Islamic Motifs in 15^th century Italian Textiles: The Ogee

Silk velvet, cut and voided

1400-1420 Italy

Art Institute of Chicago Accession No. 1976.343

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Woven Silk

1400-1500

Italy

Victoria and Albert Museum

Accession No. T.117-1911

Pomegranate velvet

Late 15^th century Italy

Royal Ontario Museum Accession No. 909.16.10

Four-color Velvet with Medici Armorial in Rosettes

1450-1500 Italy (probably Florence)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Accession No. 1943.67

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Islamic Motifs in 16^th century Italian Textiles: The Ogee

Textile Fragment –silk voided velvet

Late 1500s-early 1600s

Italy

LACMA

Accession No. M.44.3.28

Panel of damask

1500-1600 Italy

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Accession No. 46.1215

Silk, cut and uncut velvet weave

1575-1600

Italy

Art Institute of Chicago

Accession No. 1907.353

Brocatelle, silk and linen

Late 16^th century Italy

Detroit Institute of Art

Accession No. 27.244

Fragment

1501-1600 Italy

Art Institute of Chicago

Accession No. 1895.866

Islamic Motifs in pre-14^th century textiles: The Pomegranate

Silk Fragment

13th century Egypt

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Accession No.08.109.1a

Textile, silk & gold thread

13th century Central Asia

Cleveland Museum of Art

Accession No. 1993.253

Pattern woven silk with gilt and silvered tanned leather

14th century Central Asia

Victoria & Albert Museum

Accession No. 1301.1864

Islamic Motifs in Italian Textiles 14^th century: The Pomegranate

Silk lampas with Parrots & Animals

14^th century Italy

Cleveland Museum of Art

Accession no. 1926.507

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Printed linen

14^th century Italy

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Accession No. 2002.494.468

Textile, silk and metal thread

14^th century Italy

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Accession No. 45.156.45

Lampas, gilt on linen core

1375-1400 Italy

Victoria & Albert Museum

Accession no. 756-1875

Islamic Motifs in Italian Textiles 15^th century: The Pomegranate

Velvet panel

1450-1500 Italy

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Accession No. 46.156.134

Length of silk textile

1400-1500 Italy

Cleveland Museum of Art

Accession No. 1953.485

Silk Velvet part of a chasuble

1400-1500 Italy

Victoria & Albert Museum

Accession No. 555-1884

Islamic Motifs in 16^th century Italian Textiles: The Pomegranate

Brocatelle

16^th c. Italy

Detroit Institute of Art

Accession No. 27.401

Panel of Velvet

1550-1600 Italy

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Accession No. 30.95.69

Fragment of the hood of a cope

1550-1600 Italy

Royal Ontario Museum

Accession No. 925.22.25

With Thanks to:

• Mistress Annetje von Leuven of Northshield for access to her collection of extant fabric images