Lot 168 A GILT AND SILVER METAL-THREAD EMBROIDERED KISWAH FRAGMENT, MADE FOR THE HOLY KA'BA, SAUDIA ARABIA 20TH CENTURY
Of rectangular form, embroidered in gilt and silver metal thread on a black silk ground, this panel features a central cartouche inscribed in thuluth script, surrounded by intricate arabesque motifs. Dimensions: 68 by 86 cm. Inscriptions: This is the beginning of Ayat al-Kursi, one of the greatest verses in the Quran: “Allah – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence.” (Quran 2:255).
Note: This embroidered silk panel, known as a Qandeel, is a fragment of the Kiswah—the ceremonial black cloth that drapes the Kaaba in al-Masjid al-Haram, Mecca. Traditionally placed at one corner or above the door of the Kaaba, the Qandeel bears Qur’anic inscriptions and the names of Allah, symbolizing divine light and spiritual reverence.