Weiner Mihályné szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 12. (Budapest, 1970)

IPARMŰVÉSZETI MÚZEUM — MUSÉE DES ARTS DÉCORATIFS - Egyed, Edit: On a Textile from the Safavid Period

The well-known art historian, Phyllis Ackermann, who is one of the best experts on Persian textile art, deals with the problem of the figured woven fabrics in her several studies

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. The dating and the place of production of Persian textiles with figurai representations have been also studied by other experts besides Ackermann

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. The examination of stuffs of different centres of textile production shows that the most complicated weaving technics were applied at Yazd. After a study of the surviving, datable textiles, the application of metal thread (fig. 4.) can be observed with the production of most brocades made at Yazd, with few exceptions. The production of figured woven fabrics had been developed at two places; Tebris and Yazd. It has to be mentioned that in both groups very significant miniature painters were the designers. On some of the textiles the signature has survived, and these masters — as their well-known names show — were excellent miniaturists. There are frequently recurring subjects on miniatures, and representations of similar themes also occur on woven fabrics. Such well known and favourite subject was the depiction of "the captive scenes", which were frequently represented on both miniatures, and textiles, and several colletions have brocades with similar subjects. The Kashan painters represented a quite independent school. The manufacture at Yazd achieved its highest artistic development under the reign of Shah Abbas I and II. Here did Ghiyas work and he got the title naqshband, which in those days meant an exceptional honour, namely it was given to those making figured woven fabrics, and of them only creating on the highest level. Eight signed works by Ghiyas are known, but many of his pieces without signature were donated by his ruler throughout the world. In his works he generally applied metal threads, which in itself presupposes a high ranked customer. Beside Ghiyas two more designers have become famous: Abd Allah and Husain, but even they could not surpass Ghiyas. The use of six shades of colours can be observed in the works produced by him and his group, within which the colours appear in several combinations. As it can be shown from the literature and the surviving remnants, the double and treble woven fabrics appearing beside the simple woven stuffs in the 16th c. required the highest craftsmanship of both the designer and the weaver. The number of woven textiles connecting to our subject-matter is far less than that of the knotted ones. This is understandable as carpets of thicker stuffs are more durable than those made of thin silk and metal threads. These 24 Ackermann, Phyllis: The Tabriz-Yazd (?) personnage fabrics; the Tabriz-Kashan (?) personnage fabrics; Ghiyath Persian masterweaver. Apollo XVIII. (1933) p. 252—6.; Ackermann, Ph.: A biography of Ghiyat the weaver. Bulletin of the American Institute for Persian Art and Archaeology. No. 7. 1924. 9—13. 20 Martin, F. R.: Figurale persische Stoffe aus dem Zeitraum 1550—1650. Stockholm, 1899.: Martin, F. R.: Die persischen Prachtstoffe im Schlosse Rosenborg in Kopenhagen. Stockholm, 1901.; Errera, I.: Catalogue d'étoffes anciennes et modernes, Musées Royaux des Arts Décoratifs de Bruxelles. Bruxelles, 1907.; Dreger, M.: Künstlerische Entwicklung der Weberei und Stickerei. Wien, 1904. 26 Klein, Vladimir: Two Safavid figurai satins. Pope: op. cit. p. 2221.