Newberry Collection of Islamic Textiles

P.E. Newberry collected 1010 Islamic embroideries from medieval Egypt. They date from the Fatimid dynasty (969-1171) and from the Ayyubid (1172-1249) and Mamluk (1250-1516) period. The textiles are mostly fragmentary, but remains of seams and hems indicate that they were once used for dress and furnishings.

The ground fabric generally is undyed linen, often of fine quality, with the embroidery stitched in silk.

More than twenty-five different stitch techniques were used, with many of them counted and worked precisely to produce extremely fine and intricate patterns. The high quality of many of the pieces indicates that they were made for a wealthy clientele. The use of heraldic emblems on several fragments links them to the sultan's court.