AN OTTOMAN METAL THREAD EMBROIDERED CURTAIN WITH THE TUGHRA OF MAHMUD II, DATED 1242 AH/1826 AD

Rectangular, heavily embroidered in silver and silver-gilt threads on a predominantly green and red cotton ground, consisting of four lines of inscriptions in elegant thuluth script, flanked on both sides by mihrab shaped columns, under with a floral swag topped with two inscription-filled roundels, at the top floral and laurel wreaths surrounding a roundel filled with inscription, surrounded by inscription-filled cartouches and small roundels, a Tughra below that surrounded by floral leafy sprays. All within a border with continuous repeat vegetal decorative motifs.

The inscriptions read as follows: On the upper cartouche:" "hadihi al-sitara al-sharifah li-bab minarah al-ra"isiya". 'This panel was made for the door of the main minaret'. Within the floral orange cartouches: Kalimaat al-Tawhid The central inscriptions: four lines of Ayat al-Kursi /The throne, V.255 from surah al-Baqraa, flanked by six cartouches enclosing the names of al-Rashidun. Below this is the Sultan's tughra of Muhamud II Two cartouches below on a red ground enclosing: This panel was made by the order of the sultan Mahmud Khan bin Abdul Hamid in the year 1242 AH".

155 by 245 cm.