Inscribed textiles are called tiraz, from the Persian word for embroidery. Many were produced in royal workshops and presented by rulers to honor courtiers and officials at formal ceremonies. They bear inscriptions naming and blessing the current ruler or caliph—a reminder to the recipient that they wed their allegiance to that ruler. This irregularly shaped textile is made of undyed linen and has an Arabic inscription in kufic script embroidered in black silk across the upper section. The inscription also contains the name of the caliph al-Radi billah and his vizier Fadl ibn Ja'far, as well as the date A.H. 328 (A.D. 939–40) and the place of manufacture, Dimyat (Damietta, in Egypt).
