Islam and the Textile Arts
The textile arts refer to the production of arts and crafts that use plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to create objects. These objects can be for everyday use, or they can be decorative and luxury items. The production and trade of textiles pre-dates Islam, and had long been important to Middle Eastern cultures and cities, many of which had flourished due to the Silk Road. When Islamic dynasties formed and grew more powerful they gained control over textile production in the region which was arguably the most important craft of the era. The most important textile produced in Medieval and Early Modern Islamic Empires was the carpet.
The Ottoman Empire and Carpet Production
The art of carpet weaving was particularly important in the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman state was founded by Turkish tribes in northwestern Anatolia in 1299 and became an empire in 1453 after the momentous conquest of Constantinople. Stretching across Asia, Europe, and Africa, the Empire was vast and long lived, lasting until 1922 when the monarchy was abolished in Turkey. Within the Ottoman Empire, carpets were immensely valued both as decorative furnishings and for their practical value. They were used not just on floors but also as wall and door hangings, where they provided additional insulation. These intricately knotted carpets were made of silk, or a combination of silk and cotton, and were often rich in religious and other symbolism. Hereke silk carpets, which were made in the coastal town of Hereke, were the most valued of the Ottoman carpets because of their fine weave. The Hereke carpets were typically used to furnish royal palaces .
Carpet and Interior of the Harem room, Topkapi Palace, Istanbul.
The Ottoman Turks were famed for their quality of their finely woven and intricately knotted silk carpets.
Persian Carpets
The Iranian Safavid Empire (1501-1786) is distinguished from the Mughal and Ottoman dynasties by the Shi'a faith of its shahs, which was the majority Islamic denomination in Persia. Safavid art is contributed to several aesthetic traditions particularly to the textiles arts.
In the sixteenth century, carpet weaving evolved from a nomadic and peasant craft to a well-executed industry with specialization of design and manufacturing using quality fibers such as silk. The carpets of Ardabil, for example, were commissioned to commemorate the Safavid dynasty and are now considered to be the best examples of classical Persian weaving, particularly for their use of graphical perspective. Textiles became a large export, and Persian weaving became one of the most popular imported good of Europe. Islamic carpets were a luxury item in Europe and there are several examples of European Renaissance paintings which document the presence of Islamic textiles in European homes during that time.
The Ardabil Carpet, Persia, 1540
The Ardabil Carpet is the finest example of 16th century Persian carpet production.
Indonesian Batik
Islamic textile production, however, was no limited to the carpet. Royal factories were founded for the purpose of textile production which also included cloth and garments. The development and refinement of Indonesian batik cloth was closely linked to Islam. The Islamic prohibition on certain images encouraged batik design to become more abstract and intricate . Realistic depictions of animals and humans are rare on traditional batik, but serpents, puppet-shaped humans, and the Garuda of pre-Islamic mythology are all commonplace. Although its existence in Indonesia pre-dates Islam, batik reached its high point in the royal Muslim courts such as Mataram and Yogyakarta, whose Muslim rulers encouraged and patronized batik production. Today, batik has undergone a revival, and cloths are used for other purposes besides wearing, such as wrapping the Quran.
Javanese court batik
The development and refinement of Indonesian batik cloth was closely linked to Islam.