Fragment

Tiraz fragment of linen with part of a silk and metal tapestry tiraz band at top, and at bottom, rows of small silk tapestry insets. Ground of tiraz band loosely woven on linen warps with gold silk originally wound with metal; row of small adjoining roundels enclosing alternately a frontal human mask or a bird in profile, with outlines and details in fine silk tapestry in sky-blue, yellow-green, white, black on the looser gold ground, narrow sky-blue silk guard band above and below roundels separates row or roundels from pale yellow-green silk Kufic inscription with details in black and white filling upper and lower third of tiraz band (lower inscription upside down). Small silk and metal tapestry insets woven on warps of the linen ground consist of row of small birds facing left in gold silk originally wound with metal, with touches of green, blue, white, black silk; row of rosettes alternating with heart-shaped petal, in same colors; row of small birds facing right.