Pattern Analysis of Figural Textiles from the Great Seljuk Period and Their Adaptation to Contemporary Clothing Designs

Historical artworks are visual sources that document the technical knowledge, sociocultural structures, and symbolic value systems of the periods in which they were produced. In this context, textile art constitutes an important field for material culture history and iconographic analysis. Great Seljuk textiles are notable for their technical, aesthetic, and symbolic qualities. Although previous studies have examined their weaving traditions, techniques, and patterns, research integrating the pattern, composition, style, typology, and iconography of figural textiles with digital reconstruction and contemporary garment design remains limited. This study aims to contribute to the field through a holistic examination of these features. Within a qualitative research framework, document analysis, comparative visual analysis, iconographic interpretation, and compositional analysis were employed. First, figural textiles preserved in Turkish and international museums were identified. Subsequently, the clothing details of figures depicted in artworks serving as indirect visual sources were examined to identify figural patterns. These patterns were digitally reconstructed and adapted to contemporary garments through two practice-based methods: transferring compositions and integrating selected motifs. By preserving their iconographic meanings and characteristic compositional features, the study contributes to understanding Great Seljuk figural textiles and sustaining historical heritage through contemporary design.