An Important Early Islamic Textile

The inscription is a repetition of: nasr min Allah, "Help from God", a benedictory formula very common in Fatimid textiles. As a type, textiles with such repeat formulae emulated the caliphal textiles which were inscribed with caliphal protocal, but probably served a different market. The style of script, cursive version rather than the kufic used in caliphal textiles, would indicate a more informal environment.

Reference: (Bouvier, Tissus d'Egypte, temoin du monde arabe VIIIe-XV e siecles, Collection Bouvier, Geneva and Paris, 1994, pp. 252-3, no.152).