Publication Date
12th/18th century
Publication Place
-
Victoria and Albert Museum
Subject
woven silk
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الطول: 70 سم؛ العرض: 68 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
1063–1900
Record ID
object;ISL;uk;Mus02;24;ar
Library Location
Victoria and Albert Museum
Date
12th/18th century
Notes
A piece of red silk divided into broken ivory bands, forming a repeating unit of three parts. The main part consists of the Shahada (There is no god but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God), above it is a verse from the Qur’an (Sura 2, verse 144) that talks about the direction of prayer, the qiblah, and below it is a religious supplication: “Glory be to God and praise be to Him, Glory be to God the Great.” These recurring units are separated by bands containing ornaments in the form of veils facing upside down, arranged between circular medallions. These veils contain the supplications “O Mannan” and “O Tenderness,” while the circles contain “O Glory be to Him” and “O Sultan.” These textiles were manufactured during the Ottoman period to cover the graves of important figures, and since the deceased was buried facing the Qibla, the presence of the verse that talks about the Qibla has a special meaning. This type of grave covering appears to have been woven in large quantities, as silk patterned with the same patterns can be found in museum collections around the world.
Sample Text
Barry Wood “Tomb Cover” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;uk;Mus02;24;ar
