Patterns of Luxury: Islamic Textiles, 11th–17th Centuries

Persian; Textile Pieced with Two Panels with Design of Columns of Flowers, 17th century; silk cut voided velvet weave with satin weave foundation and silver and gilt thread brocading wefts, Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 56:1919.

Patterns of Luxury: Islamic Textiles, 11th–17th Centuries showcases rare and magnificent examples of SLAM’s collection of early Islamic textiles, including many that have not been on view in decades and some that have never before been exhibited at the Museum.

With works on view from three continents, the exhibition will emphasize the diversity of textile traditions by including luxurious examples from Egypt in the Fatimid and Ottoman periods, Islamic Spain, Ottoman Turkey, Persia during the Safavid dynasty, and India during the Mughal period.