15th century
Spain
Object qualities
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Objecttextile (towels, carpets, etc.): Hanging
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Type of arts & crafts
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MediumSilk; lampas
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SizeTextile: L. 120 in. (304.8 cm) W. 47 1/2 in. (120.7 cm) Mount: H. 136 in. (345.4 cm) W. 53 1/2 1/2 in. (135.9 cm) Weight: 178 lbs (80.7 kg)
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Geography detailsProbably made in
Spain -
Country today
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Date15th century
Source of information
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Type of sourceDatabase “Metropolitan Museum of Art”
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Fund that the source refers toMetropolitan Museum of Art
Description
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Contemporary accounts and material evidence describe the extensive use of luxurious silk curtains—such as this one—to furnish the wealthy households of medieval Spain, but few such textiles have survived intact. Our piece is one of only four known extant curtains. Given the strong tradition of drawloom weaving in both Spain and North Africa from the fifteenth century onward, it is difficult to apply a specific attribution to this beautifully woven curtain. A related pair of silk curtains, however, have been tentatively assigned to the Nasrid period and associated with Granada based on their inscriptions—which comprise phrases appearing throughout the stuccowork of the Alhambra palace.