Sicilian Textiles

Does this textile fragment look familiar?

Over the past two months, my assignment was to study every pattern and every stain on this silk lampas, with the goal of finding new meaning in the motifs or perhaps uncover a secret about the context of its creation. I read Italian, I scoured the library, and I visited the Ratti Center, and my many hours of research and analysis resulted in success! Or at least a theory that merits additional research and analysis – this is the life of the graduate student.

I was drawn to this textile fragment for several reasons: 

1. My family is Sicilian-American, and I'm always interested in studying the history of the land that fostered the lives and beliefs of my ancestors. 

2. I am fascinated with the idea that Norman Sicily was held in such high regard by surrounding kingdoms; now stereotyped as a city rife with mob violence and corruption, Palermo was once a cultural mecca, an important part of the Mediterranean trade route that provided other communities with silk and provided visitors with a glimpse of a healthy community celebrating the importance of religious freedom. Sicily was never a utopia, but it was once much more highly regarded than it is today.

3. I would like to consider the possibility the crafts and work produced in Sicily during from 1071 – 1250 carry a special significance. The textile produced in the Sicilian royal weaving workshops were not just facsimiles of the Andalusian textiles produced during the same period. Based on my research, I would like to offer the theory that Sicilian textiles are distinct in their design and are a product of a unique cultural collaboration that began when the Arabs invaded Sicily and ended with the death of Frederick II.

So, I plan to spend some time with my recently returned paper and my research, in hopes of discovering even more about my textile and others produced in the same time period. You may find some of my research posted here in the coming months. I will be sure to post any new developments or insights as I continue to clarify what I have learned this semester.