Harvard Art Museums > 1985.308: Fragment of a Cenotaph Cover Textile Arts Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Fragment of a Cenotaph Cover , 1985.308,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 22, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/215841. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1985.308 Title Fragment of a Cenotaph Cover Classification Textile Arts Work Type textile Date c. 1600 - 1900 Places Creation Place: Middle East, Türkiye (Turkey) Period Ottoman period Culture Ottoman Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/215841 Physical Descriptions Medium Compound silk weave; red satin warp-faced ground, patterned with white wefts binding in plain Dimensions 37.6 x 17.2 cm (14 13/16 x 6 3/4 in.) Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Edwin Binney, 3rd Collection of Turkish Art at the Harvard Art Museums Accession Year 1985 Object Number 1985.308 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description This silk fragment was woven to adorn the interior wall of the Kaʿba, the holiest shrine in Islam located in Mecca. During the obligatory pilgrimage or Hajj to Mecca, visitors encounter this square building covered with a cloth known as the kiswa. Special textiles are commissioned annually to furnish the Kaʿba. During the Ottoman period, such textiles were funded by the sultans. This red and white textile inscribed in thuluth script with Qurʾanic verses and invocations was originally part of a larger internal kiswa made for the Kaʿba. After each year, such textiles were cut up and reused for various purposes, such as covering the graves of the deceased. This fragment likely experienced another context of reuse before entering the museum. Inscriptions: From the top to the bottom of the textile: Top zig-zag (1): phrases in praise of God Large zig-zag (2): in the lamps and medallions are invocations of God, “oh the munificent,” “oh the mighty,” “oh the sublime” Smaller zig-zig (3): Qurʾan: 2:144 (partial); “Many a time have we seen you turn your face towards the sky. We will make you turn towards a qiblah that will please you. Turn your face towards the Holy Mosque.” Top of another zig-zag (4): the shahada Exhibition History The Edwin Binney 3rd Collection of Turkish Art at the Harvard University Art Museums, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 05/16/1987 - 08/02/1987 Verification Level This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
