Beschreibung:

An Ottoman silk and metal thread embroidered silk curtain, probably Egypt, the text on this piece, which is possibly a section of four pieces, (texts are incomplete and would have continued on other sides) contains: Qur'an, chapter II (al-Baqarah), part of verse 125 in the top panel; Qur'an, chapter II (al-Baqarah), part of verse 260 and chapter III (Al 'Imran), part of verse 96 in the middle panel; and Qur'an, chapter XVII (al-'Isar'), verse 84 in the lower panel with 'God, exalted be His glory' and 'Muhammad, God bless him and grant him salvation' in its top corners, 263cm x 119cm on later black velvet backing Translates as: and when we made the house [Mecca] and when Abraham said "my lord, now show me how you give life to the dead" the first house of worship established for mankind [Mecca] say, each works according to his manner, but your lord is most knowing of who is best guided in way Each of these sections starts with the blessing "bismillah al-rahman al-rahim" and the words "allah" and "muhammad" have sections on either side of the lowest panel. Provenance: From a Private Collection Condition Report: It has almost certainly been re-backed and with later black velvet surround. The silk field through-out with staining and with perishing leading to discolouration and losses. Metal threads with pulling loose elements and with signs of some later cross stitching repairs. Please refer to additional images which are available on request. Condition Report Disclaimer