Ask the Scholar

This silk fragment preserves a small-scale design organized in vertical stripes. Starting from the left edge, the first and fifth stripes contain in sequence a diamond enclosing a griffin, a rectangle containing an inscription, and an oval containing an inscription. Above and below each oval are paired birds; floral tendrils fill the interspaces. In the second and fourth stripes, diamonds containing rosettes are followed by rectangles containing inscriptions and then by octagons enclosing floral ornament and Arabic inscriptions. The third and seventh stripes are similar in that diamonds alternate with ovals against a very finely striped ground, but the ovals contain different inscriptions surrounded by leaves. The diamonds of the third stripe contain a palmette while those of the seventh stripe contain more Arabic and small leaves. The sixth and eighth stripes repeat, in sequence, an octagon with leaves and Arabic inscription, a rectangle with Arabic inscription, and a diamond filled with a floral device. The ground is ornamented with a small diaper pattern. Pairs of narrow bands containing disconnected chevrons or tiny repeated rectangles separate the stripes.<br><br>The inscriptions repeat isolated words: Peace, Happiness, The Mercy of God, Health, Generosity, Prosperity, Kingdom.