What's your favorite version of "Sigh No More"? I think this one is mine.

Othello and Islamic textiles

So, is the handkerchief just a "trifle light as air" as Iago suggests? Well, actually textiles are quite important to the Islamic culture Othello comes from. These textiles come in the forms of rugs, drapes, clothing, and yes, handkerchiefs. They often use geometrical shapes, and include fine embroidery and scripture from the Qua ran. So you could imagine how upset Othello would be to think that his wife Desdemona has given away what is essentially a family heirloom.

Here are various pictures of Islamic textiles to give you an idea of how important textile art is in Islamic culture. See if you can spot the fine embroidery or scripture on the textiles. Hint: the scripture is in Arabic calligraphy.

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