Fragmentary Ottoman Cenotaph Cover with Qur'anic Verses

Creator Name

Unknown

Cultural Context

Islamic; Turkish

Date

Ottoman Empire

Source

Walters Art Museum

About the work

Curationist Object Description

Created in Turkey, this cenotaph cover dates back to the 17th-18th century. It is adorned with Qur'anic verses and Islam’s Shahada, "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet," placed within a chevron (zig-zag) pattern and set against an oxblood background.

Attributed to the Ottoman Empire, it was likely used to dress a sanduka (a coffin-shaped stone) in honor of an important person. The work resembles many cenotaph covers from this period, which were frequently designed with chevron patterns and holy scripture. Geometric patterns as well religious inscriptions are meant to guide viewers in their worship.

Walters Art Museum Object Description

This cenotaph cover bears calligraphic Qur'anic verses and the shahada of Islam: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet." It would have been used as a cover for a sanduka, a coffin-shaped stone indicating the burial place of an important person. The chevron (zigzag) design was frequently used on kiswa covers commissioned by Ottoman sultans and sent to Mecca every year to adorn the Ka"ba. A square building located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the Ka"ba, which means cube in Arabic, is elegantly draped in a silk and cotton veil and is the holiest shrine in Islam.

For the latest information about this object, textiles, visit art.thewalters.org.

Work details

"--" = no data available

= Curationist added metadata(Learn more)

Title

Fragmentary Ottoman Cenotaph Cover with Qur'anic Verses

Creator

Unknown

Islamic

Worktype

Funerary object; Textile

textiles

Cultural Context

Islamic; Turkish

Material

satin

Dimensions

W: 50 13/16 × W: 28 3/8 in. (129 × 72 cm)

Technique

Language

Arabic; Thuluth

Date

Ottoman Empire

17th-18th century (Ottoman)

Provenance

by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.; Acquired by Henry Walters, Baltimore; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.

Style Period

Rights

CC0; GNU Free Documentation License

Inscription

Quran 2:144 verse in Thuluth script within chevrons: Indeed we see the turning of your face to heaven, so we shall surely turn you to a qibla which you shall like; turn then your face towards the sacred mosque. / There is no God save God and Muhammad is His messenger / Glory be to God and Praise (to him). / O Ruler! O Benefactor! O All-glorious! O All-merciful!

Location

Turkey; MENASA (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia)

Source

Walters Art Museum

Subjects

Chevron; Calligraphy; Qur'an; Religious text

Topic

Arabic Calligraphy

Curationist Metadata Contributors

Amanda Acosta

All Works in Curationist’s archives can be reproduced and used freely. How to attribute this Work:

Unknown, Fragmentary Ottoman Cenotaph Cover with Qur'anic Verses, 17th-18th century. Walters Art Museum. Cenotaph covers, such as this one, have been viewed as smaller scale versions of kiswas, large swaths of fabric which adorn the Kaaba. CC0.

Help us improve this content!

Let our archivists know if you have something to add.

Send us your feedback

Save this work.

Start an account to add this work to your personal curated collection.