This textile fragment is known as a 'tiraz', which refers to garments with inscriptions. This fragment contains inscriptions in Kufic-Abbasid script, repeating the phrase ‘Nasr min Allah’ (Victory is from God) – which was the motto of the Fatimid rulers. The medallions with the animals are a typical motif on Fatimid tiraz.Fragments of early textiles have survived in Egypt due to its extremely dry climate. The production of textiles was an important luxury industry in Egypt at that time. Rulers would present tiraz to their court as a sign of privilege and honour. Tiraz were widely used in the Islamic world up until about the 14th century. As they were expensive, these textiles were carefully used. Fragments that survive today could have been re-used as winding cloth for the dead.
