Mühlemann, Corinne (29 September 2023). The Good or the Bad Weaver? Paradoxical Perceptions of the Weaver and his Craft in Medieval Islamic Societies (Unpublished). In: Workshop: Islamic Law and Material Culture – Converging Trajectories, together with Finbarr Barry Flood, Leor Halevi and Ruba Kana’an. New York University, Silsila: Center for Material Histories. 29.09.2023.
In medieval Islamic societies, woven textiles were of great importance for both daily life and the economy. According to the 8th Epistle of the Ikhwān al-Ṣafā (Brothers of Purity), written in Iraq in the ninth or tenth century, weaving (ḥiyāka) is one of the primary crafts (along with agriculture and construction) that were essential to society. Surviving complex woven silks with patterns of precious gold threads illustrate the virtuous skills of craftspeople engaged in the production of textiles, such as the weaver (ḥaʾik, nassāj). While the weaver’s craft is praised, his profession was stigmatized by association with extremely negative characteristics, as evidenced by the writings of both legal and theological scholars. This paper seeks to better understand the paradoxical and intersectional attitudes towards the weaver and his craft through medieval Islamic legal sources.
Item Type: |
Conference or Workshop Item (Speech) |
|---|---|
Division/Institute: |
06 Faculty of Humanities > Department of Art and Cultural Studies > Institute of Art History 06 Faculty of Humanities > Department of Art and Cultural Studies > Institute of Art History > History of Textiles |
UniBE Contributor: |
Mühlemann, Corinne |
Subjects: |
700 Arts 700 Arts > 740 Drawing & decorative arts 100 Philosophy 800 Literature, rhetoric & criticism 900 History |
Language: |
English |
Submitter: |
Janina Miguela Aleta Ammon |
Date Deposited: |
28 Mar 2024 16:52 |
Last Modified: |
28 Mar 2024 16:52 |
URI: |
https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/194774 |
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