Tiraz Textile Fragment

The manufacture of this undated tiraz textile can be definitively linked to the last quarter of the tenth century, specifically to the reign of the fifth Fatimid Caliph, al-‘Aziz bi’llah (r. 975–996). Covering the entire field, the tapestry-woven Arabic inscription in kufic script reads, "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent, Victory [is from God...] Al-Mansur, the Imam al-‘Aziz bi’llah, Commander [of the Faithful]." Under al-‘Aziz bi’llah, Egypt's economy prospered and the Fatimid dynasty's territory reached its furthest extent. This fortune is reflected materially in the elaborate building program and the large number of luxurious textiles that date to his reign.

Credit: Gift of George D. Pratt, 1931