Islamic Textile Decorative Styles

Fabrics in the Islamic era were decorated with a variety of subjects from Arabic calligraphy and geometric compositions, to plants, birds, animals, humans, and fantastic creatures.

These decorations were also symbols. The Arabic calligraphy that decorated royal fabrics, which is called Tiraz, had political references to the names of caliphs, rulers, and sultans. These inscriptions represented important signs of a ruler's power in the Middle Ages and some were entreaties to God.

Many decorations, especially those of plants, show the great artistic ability of designers in the Islamic era. They were able to combine many forms of plants, roses, and leaves in an eye-catching fashion. Art historians who had no earlier reference for these designs simply called it with its Arabic name "Arabesque."

Depictions of animals and humans reflect the daily life and the environment around the artist. Examples of these scenes include different animals chasing each other, attacking one another, or posing in other positions. All types of decoration could be merged on a single piece of fabric, such as geometric figures outlining birds, animals, and plants combined with Arabic calligraphy