OTTOMAN TURKEY, AH 1277/1861 AD

Details

A SILK LAMPAS PANEL FROM THE INNER COVERING OF THE KA'BA
OTTOMAN TURKEY, AH 1277/1861 AD
Comprising two panels with a central seam, the crimson-red silk ground decorated with zig-zag bands of muhaqqaq, lower edge with later added fringes, green and brown fabric linings, scattered losses, mounted between Perspex
79 1/8 x 53 1/8in. (201 x 135cm.)

Provenance

Royal Family of Bhopal, from whom purchased by the current owner

Engraved

In largest band: the Shahada
Above: Qur'an II, sura al-baqara, v.114 (part)
Below: subhan Allah wa bi hamdihi subhan Allah al-'azim, 'Glory be to God and all praise is due to him alone, glory to God Almighty'
In lobed medallions: alternating, ya hanan, ya mannan, 'O the Compassionate, O the Benefactor!'
In roundels: alternating, ya sultan, ya subhan, 'O sultan, O glory!'

Special notice

This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Behnaz Atighi Moghaddam Head of Sale

batighi@christies.com +44 20 7389 2509

Lot Essay

This fragment comes from the internal kiswa presented by the Ottoman sultan ‘Abdülaziz (r.1861–76) in his first regnal year. It was the last internal kiswa to be sent by the Ottomans, and it remained there until 1936, when it was replaced by an Indian-made one. Whilst the kiswa, hizam and sitara were renewed every year, the interior textiles of the Ka’ba, characterized by their zigzag patterns on green or red ground were changed once per reign. The Ottoman sultan Selim I decreed that these should be made in Istanbul. They could also be used for the tomb of the Prophet in Medina, in which case their calligraphic decoration would be different.

Due to their associations with baraka, old kiswas were often used in a talismanic way inside a house, or converted in to items of clothing such as waist coats or caps. A smaller fragment from the same kiswa is in the Khalili collection (inv.no.TXT 539).

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