Rare Islamic textiles on view in upcoming free exhibition

ST. LOUIS, May 20, 2025— Rarely displayed or never-before-seen works from the Saint Louis Art Museum’s collection of medieval and early modern Islamic textiles are on view starting next month in “Patterns of Luxury: Islamic Textiles, 11th–17th Centuries.”

The textile exhibition is on view in Carolyn C. and William A. McDonnell Gallery 100 from June 13 through Jan. 4, 2026.   

Textiles have had an important place in Islamic civilization since the 7th century. As the influence of Islam radiated outward from Arabia through conquest and trade, textile patterns absorbed various local design aesthetics. Works in the exhibition span continents—Africa, Europe and Asia. They demonstrate the diversity of textile traditions with luxurious examples from Egypt in the Fatimid (909-1171) and Ottoman (1517-1867) periods, Islamic Spain during the Nasrid dynasty (1232-1492), Ottoman Turkey (1281-1924), Persia (present-day Iran) during the Safavid dynasty (1501-1736) and India during the Mughal period (1526-1858).   

Textiles with inscriptions (tiraz) were popular during the early and middle Islamic periods—the 7th through 13th centuries. Two tiraz-style textile fragments from Fatimid Egypt represent fine examples of silk tapestry on linen. Silk textiles played a leading role in the cultural development of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe because they were an incentive to the development of technical knowledge and specialization of industry.   

Several pieces from Nasrid Spain show the influence of architectural decoration and were hung as curtains or murals. The most exceptional Islamic textiles were so prized by Christians that many were later repurposed in religious contexts as relic wrappers, liturgical garments or treasures in their own right.  

Stylization and naturalism in floral patterns may be seen in high-end woven textiles from several Islamic cultures. The exhibition also includes carpet fragments and rugs from Egypt, Spain, Turkey, Iran and India, collected by St. Louisan James F. Ballard (1851-1931), whose extraordinary collection is divided between the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Saint Louis Art Museum. 

CONTACT: Molly Morris, 314.655.5250, molly.morris@slam.org