Two sleeves and a Mamluk headdress - Lot 255

Two sleeves and a Mamluk headdress Polychrome cotton and linen textile Egypt, 13th/14th century Sleeves: H. 40 and 35 cm Headdress: H. 12 cm (Minor wear given the age of the pieces: a few tears, discolorations and consolidations). Provenance : - Private collection A.G., Nabil Anawati (Canada), then Private collection (Antwerp). Sotheby's London sale, October 9, 2013, lot 126. Three certificates of authenticity from Galerie Archaeologia (Nabil Anawati) dated 20/05/2013. A number of Mamluk textile fragments are known, using needlework as here. Quite complete sets like this one, however, are very rare. Here, the colors are still bold and the decoration of pointed circles covering almost the entire surface has retained a freshness that gives an idea of the visual effect this luxurious garment must have produced. This is an interesting and rare example of medieval Egyptian textile production. A similar headdress is in the collections of the Ashmolean Museum (inv.no. EA1984.123). For examples of Mamluk clothing, see : Mamluk Costume, A Survey by L. A. Mayer, editions Albert Kundig, Geneva, 1952, Plate X-XIII.