Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Textile with Musicians

13th century
Not on view
The main decorative elements of this silk fragment are a row of large roundels enclosing two seated female musicians. Dressed in robes of patterned design, the figures are depicted playing tambourines. The lamp hanging between the figures suggests a luxurious interior setting. These large roundels are interlaced with a row of smaller ones containing stars. A rich shimmering effect is produced by the juxtaposition of the vivid reds and the lavish gold brocading.
Silk textiles produced in Muslim royal workshops (tiraz) were found in Christian lands in medieval Iberia, whether created for Christian patrons or cut and refashioned entirely for new uses, such as ecclesiastic vestments or church furnishings. This fragment along with 14 others belonged originally to the same textile, and were discovered between the pages of a 13th century manuscript in the cathedral of Vich in Spain.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Textile with Musicians
  • Date: 13th century
  • Geography: Attributed to Spain
  • Medium: Silk, gilt animal substrate around a silk core; lampas
  • Dimensions: Textile: L. 4 1/16 in. (10.3 cm)
    W. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm)
    Mount: H. 7 5/8 in. (19.4 cm)
    W. 7 5/8 in. (19.4 cm)
    D. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm)
  • Classification: Textiles-Woven
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1928
  • Object Number: 28.194
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Textile Fragment, Silk; lampas
Textile Fragment
14th century
Chasuble Fragment, Silk, gilded metal wrapped silk thread; lampas
Chasuble Fragment
14th century
Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript, Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on parchment
Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript
late 13th–early 14th century
Textile Fragment with Birds, Silk, gilt animal substrate around a silk core; lampas, Spanish
Textile Fragment with Birds
Spanish
mid to late 12th century
Sculpture of a Kneeling Knight or King, Sandstone, North Spanish
Sculpture of a Kneeling Knight or King
North Spanish
ca. 1175–1225

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.