Fabric

There are a number of fabrics that were available to the Persian seamstress. Wool, silk, cotton and linen were available in a wide range of colors and weaves. The romantic poetry of the time talks of many textiles: rich silks, soft cotton and linen1. The Persians were fond of rich decoration as well which could be produced by woven patterns, embroidery, stamping, dying and even gold leafing. Persian textiles (and art) were influenced heavily by contact with China and Turkey. The Mongol invasion of pervious centuries introduced gold gauzes, satins and Chinese motifs2. One innovation of the Safavid dynasty was pictorial themes3.

The Ottomans and Safavid’s, being close neighbors had a brisk trade in textiles and there are noted similarities in their fashions. Also Safavid textiles are listed in Ottoman inventories of the time, and vice versa4.

Below is a table of extant textiles of interest. Note that fancy silks and brocades were more likely to survive to the present than less expensive utilitarian cloth so the below inventory is naturally biased toward noble and wealthy fabrics. Also these fabrics may not have been for clothing as rich fabrics were popular for decor as well.

Textile Date Colors Notes Source
Compound silk twill 15th Cent Gold, silver on dark blue ground Brocaded, hunters animals and plants Woven Treasures figure 47
Compound Satin 15th-16th cent Green ground Warriors, trees Woven Treasures figure 48
Cut solid velvet 16th cent Golden tan, green, off-white on blue Flowers and crescents Woven Treasures figure 51
Cut voided velvet 16th cent Rose, copper, greenish gray on black and on old gold colored satin Brocaded with metal thread Woven Treasures figure 52
Cut voided velvet 16th cent Dark red ground, black, blue, orange, yellow, white, green, tan Gilt thread, 6-lobed medallions, human figures Woven Treasures figure 53
Satin 16th cent Blue-green, black, white, copper, yellow, metalic on green ground Beasts attacking cattle, flowers Woven Treasures figure 55
Plain compound satin 16th cent White, crimson, orange, blue, green, black on tan ground Young man in landscape Woven Treasures figure 56
Plain weave warp resist-dyed cotton 10th cent Blue, tan, white Black ink and gold leaf inscription, fringe Met "Islamic" page 29
Compoud weave satin and twill, silk Late 16th cent Burgundy ground, white, metalics Repeating floral motif Met
Wool, Turkish 14th cent Animal design Met
Silk damask circa 1450 Repeating floral motif Lentz figure 81
Silk circa 1420-49 Red ground, metalics Repeating floral motif Lentz Cat No 49
Silk circa 1400-50 Large repeating pattern, florals Lentz Figure 80
Damask? Circa 1450-1500 Green ground, metalics Repeating medallion pattern Lentz cat no 117
Satin, lampas weave Circa 1590-1600 Green ground, metalics, gauche figures Freer-Sackler on-line gallery
Silk brocade? 12th cent? Black and white picture, uncertain Elephants in roundel with words "A silk fabric woven at Bagdad" p.266
Silk-cotton blend 10th or 11th cent Plain weave, cream? (may just be discolored) black Printed and gilded pattern of lions "Islamic" page 29


1 Banks, The Essential Rumi page 73. Rumi uses a piece of linen for an analogy; it can be made into a coat or a pair of pants.

2 Woven Treasures of Persian Art, Pope page 6

3 According to Arthur Upham Pope in Woven Treasures of Persian Art The Safavid dynasty started a fashion for pictorial scenes in textiles, whether these textiles were used in clothing, however, is uncertain. Several examples of brocades exist decorated with scenes of hunting, pastoral or romantic scenes.

4 Atil, page 180