

Textile fragment with Mamluk emblem, ca. 1468–96
Egypt
Wool, plain weave and appliqué
Egypt
Wool, plain weave and appliqué
H. 9 in. (22.9 cm), W. 12 in. (30.5 cm)
Rogers Fund, 1972(1972.120.3)
The Mamluks developed a system of emblems or blazons to signify the role of courtiers serving under each sultan. This emblem dates to the reign of Sultan al-Ashraf Qaitbey (r. 146896) or of one of his successors, and is likely a fragment from an article of clothing or a piece of furniture. Numerous Venetian Renaissance paintings, including The Reception of the Venetian Ambassadors in Damascus, incorporate strikingly similar Mamluk emblems in their compositions.







