Inscribed Floor Mat
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.This well-preserved monumental loom-woven reed floor mat may have been used in a domestic setting or as a sijadat salah (prayer rug). The inscriptions state, "Perfect blessing, absolute wellbeing, and constant happiness to the owner, this that was commissioned from the private workshop of Tabariya." Tiberias (Tabariya), located in a reed-growing area, was famous for its weaving workshops.
Artwork Details
- Title: Inscribed Floor Mat
- Date: 10th century
- Geography: Made in Israel, Tiberias
- Medium: Plain weave in undyed bast fiber; inscription and decoration in brocading weft; fringe along one edge
- Dimensions: 87 13/16 x 45 1/4 in. (223 x 115 cm)
- Classification: Textiles
- Credit Line: Benaki Museum, Athens (14735)
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters