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Lot Essay
There are two published panels that are closely related to the present example. One is published as from Fez by John Gillow (African Textiles, London, 2009); the other is in the Arts Institute of Chicago, inv.no.2003.105 (https://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/search-artwork/results/keyword: Hispano-Islamic+-type:Textile?page=3) attributed possibly to Spain or Turkey, 15th/16th century. Each of those panels is a single width, in contrast to the present double width. The present panel is also considerably better preserved than both of those, with brighter colours and furthermore is the only one to have bands of inscription incorporated into the design. .
A silk panel in the Hispanic Society of New York has many features in common with the present panel. The arrangement of horizontal bands of geometric ornament coupled with bands of inscriptions, the form of the stellar interlace designs, and the palette are all recognisably similar one to the other. That panel is attributed to Nasrid Sapain, 14th century (Heather Ecker, Caliphs and Kings, the Art and Influence of Islamic Spain, Washington D.C., 2004, no.42, pp.47-49 and 139). The present panel has a more simplified design, and it includes the bands of trees with paired birds that are not found in any Spanish textiles. They are however very frequently a feature of embroideries which have been attributed to Zemmour (Khireddine Mourad, Francis Ramirez and Christian Rolot, Arts et traditions du Maroc,Paris, 1998, pp,134-135). A multiple prayer panel, also woven including metal thread, exhibited by Michael Franses and attributed to 16th century Morocco has many similar features including the bands of complex reciprocal hooked motifs (Hali 92, May 1997, p.147).
A silk panel in the Hispanic Society of New York has many features in common with the present panel. The arrangement of horizontal bands of geometric ornament coupled with bands of inscriptions, the form of the stellar interlace designs, and the palette are all recognisably similar one to the other. That panel is attributed to Nasrid Sapain, 14th century (Heather Ecker, Caliphs and Kings, the Art and Influence of Islamic Spain, Washington D.C., 2004, no.42, pp.47-49 and 139). The present panel has a more simplified design, and it includes the bands of trees with paired birds that are not found in any Spanish textiles. They are however very frequently a feature of embroideries which have been attributed to Zemmour (Khireddine Mourad, Francis Ramirez and Christian Rolot, Arts et traditions du Maroc,Paris, 1998, pp,134-135). A multiple prayer panel, also woven including metal thread, exhibited by Michael Franses and attributed to 16th century Morocco has many similar features including the bands of complex reciprocal hooked motifs (Hali 92, May 1997, p.147).