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Source Description
A design in dark brown on a background of dark tan preserves five nearly complete double-headed "eagles" and almost half of a sixth, arranged in aligned rows. Each eagle grasps griffins in its talons. Small birds decorate the shoulders of its wings, and on the wing of each small bird is inscribed with the word “mercy.” Superimposed on the eagle, as if being carried, is a small standing human figure which bears on the upper part of its arms the word “blessing.” At the top of the textile, a Kufic inscription repeats a line from the <em>diwan</em>, collected poetry, of al-Buhturi.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
137341
label
Fragment with Inscription
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
137341
contentType
object
title
Fragment with Inscription
description
A design in dark brown on a background of dark tan preserves five nearly complete double-headed "eagles" and almost half of a sixth, arranged in aligned rows. Each eagle grasps griffins in its talons. Small birds decorate the shoulders of its wings, and on the wing of each small bird is inscribed with the word “mercy.” Superimposed on the eagle, as if being carried, is a small standing human figure which bears on the upper part of its arms the word “blessing.” At the top of the textile, a Kufic inscription repeats a line from the <em>diwan</em>, collected poetry, of al-Buhturi.
date
before 1962
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80031913
genreSpecific
Textile
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 171 x 65 cm (67 5/16 x 25 9/16 in.)
cul
Iran, in the style of the Buyid period (945–1055)
accession
1962.264
Source extras
tec
Silk: lampas weave
tombstone
Fragment with Inscription, before 1962. Iran, in the style of the Buyid period (945–1055). Silk: lampas weave; overall: 171 x 65 cm (67 5/16 x 25 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1962.264
collection
T - Islamic
inscriptions
inscription
On the wing of each small bird is an inscription: "al-rahmah" [mercy].
inscription
On the upper part of the arms of the small standing figure: "al-barakah" [blessing].
inscription
At top of textile: "baqayta amir al-mu'minin fa-innama baqa['u]ka hasan lil-zaman wa-tay-yib"
inscription_translation
Thou hast remained Commander of the Believers, and indeed, Thy remaining is (a) handsome and good (thing) for the age
inscription_remark
The Kufic inscription repeats a line from the diwan of al-Buhturi.
relatedWorks
id
141201
description
Schematic Drawing of Buyid Silk (1962.264), 1900s. Félix Guichert (French). Ink on paper; overall: 58 x 125 cm (22 13/16 x 49 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. Paul Mallon 1964.441
id
141202
description
Schematic Drawings of Buyid Silk (1962.264), 1900s. Félix Guichert (French). Ink on paper; overall: 63.7 x 48.3 cm (25 1/16 x 19 in.); second section: 17.3 x 44.5 cm (6 13/16 x 17 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. Paul Mallon 1964.442
didYouKnow
The top inscription is a line by poet Al-Walīd ibn Ubaidillah Al-Buḥturī (821–897).
citations
citation
Wiet, Gaston. <em>Soieries Persanes</em>. Le Caire: Imprimerie de L'Institut Francais d'Archeologie Orientale, 1948.
page_number
Mentioned: cat. no. IX, pp. 55–63; Reproduced: pls. X and XI
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 215
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 215
citation
Lemberg, Mechthild. “The Buyid Silks of the Abegg Foundation, Berne.” <em>Bulletin du CIETA. Centre international d'étude des textiles anciens</em>. No. 37 1973 – I. p. 11-54
page_number
p. 49, no. 678
citation
Corbin, Henry. <em>Spiritual Body and Celestial Earth: From Mazdean Iran to Shiʻite Iran</em>. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1977.
page_number
Reproduced: frontispiece; Mentioned: pp. xvii–xviii
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 272
creditline
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 11:27:01.208000
sourceId
137341
dept
Textiles
coll
T - Islamic
med
Silk: lampas weave
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
f22be6cfe34a20f7