Timurid Silk Weaving

Timeline

1. c. 1370–1405Samarkand · SamarkandTimur relocated Persian and Chinese craftsmen from conquered regions, setting up royal weaving workshops in Samarkand and developing brocade and velvet techniques whose patterns fused Arabic calligraphy with floral and geometric motifs.
2. 1431–1440Herat · HeratShahrukh made Herat his court center and strongly patronized weaving and textiles to accompany miniature painting. During this decade, output in Herat and Samarkand workshops reached its peak, and gold-thread embroidered brocade became a diplomatic tribute and hard currency of Silk Road trade.
3. 1450–1507Central and South Asia · Timurid EmpireTimurid weaving techniques spread via caravans and migrating craftsmen to Safavid Persia and Mughal India; velvet and brocade patterns influenced later Islamic textile traditions, and surviving fabrics from Samarkand and Herat became museum treasures.