The early Saracenic designs were copies of these (Fig. 262). Later Saracenic designs had less of the bird and animal forms, and more of the purely Arabian ornament, with the addition of horizontal bands of Kufic inscriptions such as texts from the Koran, laudatory compliments to and names or titles of Sultans and Khalifs for whom the fabrics were made (Fig. 263).
It is singular that the rich silken fabrics made for and by the Saracens had nearly always representations of animals in the designs, although this was contrary to the laws of their faith; but this may be accounted for by their practice of copying or adapting the forms of decoration already in use in the countries they had conquered, and their lack of originality in design during their earlier days was, perhaps, the strongest motive in causing them to adapt ready-made inventions to their own uses.
The wearing of pure silken garments was also forbidden by the Mohammedan religion, but the Saracens got over that difficulty by the mixture of a few cotton threads with the silken web. The Egyptian Mamlūks (1250-1390) were very prodigal in the use of silk for dresses, banners, tent hangings, carpets, and horse clothing, supplied from the looms of Cairo and Alexandria, and imported from the Eastern centres.
Fig. 262.—Silk Damask; Eleventh Century; Early Saracenic (L. P.)
In the thirteenth century the silk industry of the Saracens was in its greatest vigour, with designs mostly in imitation of the Persian school, and in the fourteenth the same motives were used, but arranged in rows of horizontal bands—which is essentially a Greek method—and was due to the influence of the Greek and Christian Coptic designers. A good example of this style may be seen in the peacock design, Fig. 264.
Fig. 263.—Silk Fabric of Iconium; Arabian: Thirteenth Century. (Lyons Museum.)
On account of the seaboard of Asia Minor having a mixed population of Jews, Christians, and Saracens, silk fabrics from that country were decorated with imitations of Persian designs, having the “homa” or “tree of life,” Christian elements, such as the cross, seen in the “tree of life” (Fig. 265), and also imitations of Arabic writing. The Syrian examples of textiles are not so good in material or workmanship as the Byzantine or old Persian.
