- 85
The door curtain (burqa') of the Ka’ba, with a dedication to Sultan Muhammad V Reshad, dated 1327 AH/1909 AD
Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 GBP
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Description
- textile
of rectangular form, embroidered with heavy gold and silver thread on a grey-black velvet ground, the decoration made up of calligraphic cartouches of varying form, rectangular, square, circular and foliate, enclosed and bordered by arabesques and scrolling vegetal ornament, with a central cream ground panel bearing the name of the Sultan and date
Condition
In fair condition, once in the flood, with debris and sand encrustation, with restoration, losses of velvet and discolouration with associated consolidation, the lower section particularly damaged, with tears and restoration, some metal threads loose and some missing, mounted on a linen cloth with Velcro bands running along all the edges, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
inscriptions
The uppermost border with three roundels interspersed with oval cartouches, each roundel bearing an inscription reading from right to left 'Allah is my Lord', 'Allah is my Judge', 'Allah is my Lord'. The right-hand cartouche inscribed with verse 144 from Surah al-Baqara. The Bismillah and the opening Surah decorate all the oval medallions surrounding this panel.
The inscriptions filling the horizontal panels take the following form:
The first panel is a long rectangular cartouche in which we can read the following verses from Surah al-Naml (xxvii) v.30 and Surah al-Israa’ (xvii), v.80.
The second panel is made up of four pear-shaped lobed medallions, each inscribed twice with the Bismillah, adorsed and overlapping.
The third panel consists of two cartouches, one on the right and the other on the left, the right hand cartouche containing the Bismillah and the first verse of the Ayat al-Kursi, and the left hand contains simply the Ayat al-Kursi. Between these is a roundel bearing the phrase 'Allah is my Judge'.
The fourth panel is made up of a large rectangular cartouche bearing a verse from Surah al-Fath (xlviii) v.27.
The fifth panel consists of two cartouches at either end, the right hand bearing the phrase Tatimat ayat al-Kursi, the left hand cartouche inscribed with the phrase Sadaq Allah al-‘Adheem wa Sadaq Rasoulahu al-Bashir al-Natheer / wa Sala Allah ‘ala Saydna Muhammad 'Ala Alihi wa Ashabihi Ajma’een and between the two cartouches is a circular medallion with the phrase 'Allah is my master'.
The sixth panel is made up of a wide rectangle containing two large circular medallions, both inscribed with the Bismillah and Surah al-Ikhlas, as we see in the small roundels. The central focus of the right medallion is the word 'Allah', whilst the centre of the left hand medallion bears the word 'Muhammad', in between these two large medallions is a square divided into five horizontal bands with the name of the Sultan and the date as follows:
The execution of this holy curtain was ordered by our lord and Sultan Muhammad the Fifth, son of the Sultan 'Abd al-Majid Khan son of the Sultan Mahmoud Khan son of the Sultan ‘Abd al-Hamid Khan son of the Sultan Ahmad Khan, and its restoration was ordered by 'Abbas Hilmy al-Tani son of Tawfiq Basha son of Isma'il Basha son of Hajji Muhammad 'Ali in the year 1327 (AH).
The seventh panel includes a rectangular cartouche bearing the Bismillah and Surah al-Qureish in two balanced lines of text. Whilst the eighth panel is made up of two adjacent squares split into two horizontal rectangles, the first square is inscribed with la ilaha ila Allah al-Malik al-Haq al-Mubeen / Muhammad Rasoul Allah Sadiq al-Wa’d, Amin; this phrase is repeated in the opposing square. The seventh and eighth panels are split by an inverted U-shape over the door opening to the Ka’ba, this panel is worked with the Bismillah and Surah al-Ikhlas.
According to the nineteenth-century historian Al-Kurdi, the Ka'ba underwent at least eighty-nine historic floods before the year 1965, one of which (most probably in 1909), was responsible for the damage on the lower section of the present Burqa', which indicates that it must have hung on the Ka'ba door. The photograph above illustrates the most severe flood of the century, occurring in 1941.
The uppermost border with three roundels interspersed with oval cartouches, each roundel bearing an inscription reading from right to left 'Allah is my Lord', 'Allah is my Judge', 'Allah is my Lord'. The right-hand cartouche inscribed with verse 144 from Surah al-Baqara. The Bismillah and the opening Surah decorate all the oval medallions surrounding this panel.
The inscriptions filling the horizontal panels take the following form:
The first panel is a long rectangular cartouche in which we can read the following verses from Surah al-Naml (xxvii) v.30 and Surah al-Israa’ (xvii), v.80.
The second panel is made up of four pear-shaped lobed medallions, each inscribed twice with the Bismillah, adorsed and overlapping.
The third panel consists of two cartouches, one on the right and the other on the left, the right hand cartouche containing the Bismillah and the first verse of the Ayat al-Kursi, and the left hand contains simply the Ayat al-Kursi. Between these is a roundel bearing the phrase 'Allah is my Judge'.
The fourth panel is made up of a large rectangular cartouche bearing a verse from Surah al-Fath (xlviii) v.27.
The fifth panel consists of two cartouches at either end, the right hand bearing the phrase Tatimat ayat al-Kursi, the left hand cartouche inscribed with the phrase Sadaq Allah al-‘Adheem wa Sadaq Rasoulahu al-Bashir al-Natheer / wa Sala Allah ‘ala Saydna Muhammad 'Ala Alihi wa Ashabihi Ajma’een and between the two cartouches is a circular medallion with the phrase 'Allah is my master'.
The sixth panel is made up of a wide rectangle containing two large circular medallions, both inscribed with the Bismillah and Surah al-Ikhlas, as we see in the small roundels. The central focus of the right medallion is the word 'Allah', whilst the centre of the left hand medallion bears the word 'Muhammad', in between these two large medallions is a square divided into five horizontal bands with the name of the Sultan and the date as follows:
The execution of this holy curtain was ordered by our lord and Sultan Muhammad the Fifth, son of the Sultan 'Abd al-Majid Khan son of the Sultan Mahmoud Khan son of the Sultan ‘Abd al-Hamid Khan son of the Sultan Ahmad Khan, and its restoration was ordered by 'Abbas Hilmy al-Tani son of Tawfiq Basha son of Isma'il Basha son of Hajji Muhammad 'Ali in the year 1327 (AH).
The seventh panel includes a rectangular cartouche bearing the Bismillah and Surah al-Qureish in two balanced lines of text. Whilst the eighth panel is made up of two adjacent squares split into two horizontal rectangles, the first square is inscribed with la ilaha ila Allah al-Malik al-Haq al-Mubeen / Muhammad Rasoul Allah Sadiq al-Wa’d, Amin; this phrase is repeated in the opposing square. The seventh and eighth panels are split by an inverted U-shape over the door opening to the Ka’ba, this panel is worked with the Bismillah and Surah al-Ikhlas.
According to the nineteenth-century historian Al-Kurdi, the Ka'ba underwent at least eighty-nine historic floods before the year 1965, one of which (most probably in 1909), was responsible for the damage on the lower section of the present Burqa', which indicates that it must have hung on the Ka'ba door. The photograph above illustrates the most severe flood of the century, occurring in 1941.