A RED EMBROIDERED SILK KISWA, TURKEY, 19TH CENTURY

A fragment of the inner curtain of sacred kiswa for the inner wall of the Kabaa with an inscribed weave in cream-colored silk over a dark red ground. The crests of the chevrons are embellished with lamp motifs with circular medallions in between. Embellished with two groups of three undulating bands which assume the form of a continuous chain made up of number ‘7’s. The bands run from the beginning to the end of the cloth. The central band with prominent Inscription of ‘Kalimaat al-Tawhid, There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet’, repeating in the middle of the kiswa between the two zigzag bands. The two expressions, ‘Ya Mannan’ (O, the All-Bounteous) inside the upright lantern, and ‘Ya Hannan’ (O, the Most-Compassionate) inside the reversed lantern are also repeated with ‘Praise be to Allah’ (O, The All-sovereign) inside the circles. On the upper undulating band, there is a verse from the Quran 2 surah Al-Baqarah verse-144. The lower undulating band encloses another inscription of Quran 3 surah Al-Imraan v.96 . 110 by 62 cm. / Kiswa 97 by 48 cm.