inscriptions passed into the possession of the German Imperial family, and until 1794 were the official robes of the Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. The designs upon the two chasubles at Ratisbon are also striped in the same way as those already described. The Arabian inscriptions on these fabrics are very important. One of them means "Glory, victory and long life." The other proves without doubt the origin and age of these materials. It runs: "This holiday garment was made by Master Abdul Aziz in his factory for William II." This was a Norman king reigning from 1166-1189. Apart from royal robes, the most handsome materials were used to make dresses of honor, which Mahommedan princes were pleased to bestow on those who had succeeded in winning their royal approbation. A welcome ambassador, the bringer of good news, a Court favorite, a servant who had done something (or nothing) that pleased his master, would be rewarded, the robe being appropriate to the rank of the person to be thus distinguished. To give the wrong dress would be like bestowing the order of St. Michael and St. George on an Indian officer or the C. I. E. (Commander of Indian Empire) on an Australian. The ornamental use of letters is a characteristic of Islam art. Mahomet in his intense eagerness to suppress the worship and making of idols has repeatedly pronounced in the Koran a strict prohibition against making any representations of created beings. He considered such acts to be an encroachment upon God's omnipotence. According to the words of the prophet the creations of unbelievers in this world will mount upon their backs in the day of judgment with horrible forms and distorted faces, and the unbelievers will be forced to bear this horrible burden forever. To compensate for the loss of figured patterns, the skilful Mussulman took a very sensible course in conveying with the assistance of his letters, so well capable of this treatment, the ideas expressed in other styles by allegories and symbols. Thus we find the walls of the mosques and palaces richly decorated with sentences from the Koran and holy books; their woven goods also show the employment of letters in their designs. However, the subtle expounders of the Koran soon found a means of evading the strict letter of the law, and admitted a more lenient interpretation of it. After this only naturalistic imitation of living creatures were considered unlawful, whilst a conventional treatment which nearly represented the genus of the creature, as well as fantastic forms, which owed their origin to the inventive minds of the Orientals, were permitted. The employment of Christians to weave such unorthodox designs as beasts and even human beings, however, was in itself a salve to the Muslim conscience; for the Christian weaver, and not the Mahometan weaver might be expected to receive the punishment. Similarly the prohibition against the wearing of silk dresses (which Mahomet considered should only be worn in Heaven) was held not to extend to the use of silk fabrics with a linen warp, and the prohibition against the drinking of wine is today not referred to the drinking of champagne, because Mahomet who did not yet know this noble drink, was unable to forbid it. In the textile fabrics made by the Moors in Spain, we can see abundant evidence of their strict avoidance of figure subjects. FIGURE 25. The Arabs, with their peculiar capacity for mathematics, preferred geometrical designs and such composed only by ornaments. We learn from various writers how important Moorish manufacture in Spain was from the 10th to the 15th century. The towns of Almeria, Granada, Cordova and Seville were particularly famous for their productions. In Seville 60,000 looms were said to have been active, whilst in another district nearly 3,000 localities were engaged in the art of weaving. The combined work of the Greek weavers, transported to Palermo by Roger, and of the Saracens introduces a new style of textile designs, which by the skillful combination of graceful line and floral ornament with figure drawing, appreciated from the earliest times by Oriental taste, form the most interesting and attractive textile products of all ages. Elegantly drawn tendrils form the ground work over which move slender and lithe limbed animals. A loving adherence to nature gives great vivacity to all the figures. Human figures are plentifully interspersed; men, and more often maidens, hunting animals are enclosed in characteristic surroundings, such as castles, shells and nets, like the bewitched princess in the contemporary fairy tales of the Arabian Nights. It is interesting to learn that these designs often have a symbolical meaning. For instance a lion seizing a duck pursued by an eagle, means that the possessor of this garment was valiant enough to snatch the booty from the claws of the eagle; the eagle signifying luck and riches, the lion power and government. |