Dating from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century, the Alhambra, in Granada, is one of the world’s most famous buildings and the best-preserved palace of medieval Islam. It is also the most significant artistic achievement of the Nasrid dynasty (1232−1492), which ruled Granada, the last Muslim kingdom in Spain. The Alhambra is both a well-fortified palace and a royal city. It is guarded by stone walls and towers on the exterior, which conceal on the interior an elaborate succession of gardens, courtyards, and intricately decorated rooms, some of which had veneers of carved and painted stucco and colorful tiles (see M.2002.1.685 and M.73.5.782). Vivid silk textiles, as here, in the form of wall hangings and soft furnishings, would also have enlivened the interior spaces.
Many Nasrid textiles, like this one, survive only as fragments; others passed into Christian hands, were converted into ecclesiastic vestments, and were preserved in that form. Several large silk curtains of the period have survived, and these attest to one of the ways sumptuous fabrics were used. This example and other related pieces may have once formed a similar wall hanging that added to the luxurious ambience of the Alhambra. Its vibrant color scheme is in accord with associated glazed tiles and painted stucco decoration.
2025
