Cenotaph Cover
17th century
Description
The Prophet Muhammad was buried in the southeastern corner of his mosque in Medina. Like the annual textiles sent to furnish the Kaʿba in Mecca, special textiles were made for the Prophet’s tomb. These included silk curtains and door covers. This kind of green-ground zig-zag textile once formed part of an interior fabric for his tomb. Its thuluth inscriptions focus on prayers upon God, Muhammad, and the four orthodox caliphs and companions of the prophet. It was likely later cut up and reused as a tomb cover.
Dimensions
138 x 67.5 cm (54 5/16 x 26 9/16 in.)
Provenance
Stuart Cary Welch (by 1999 - 2008,) by descent; to his estate (2008-2009,) gift; to Harvard Art Museum. Notes: Object was part of long-term loan to Museum in 1999.
Related Artworks
View More
Textile fibers
20th centuryGermanSilk
ChineseWool, warp, weft and pile
18th centuryTurkishSilk with metallic (silver and gilt) yarns filé
15th centuryBohemianCompound-weave silk with patterning in supplementary wefts; selected motifs embroidered with gold and polychrome silk threads
19th centuryJapanesePolychromed silk and metallic yarns (silver lamé and gilt frisé)
16th-17th centuryEuropeanBook of swatches mounted on paper (56 sheets)
19th-20th centuryJapaneseWool and linen, tapestry woven
4th-6th centuryByzantineSilk damask
16th centuryItalian