LARGE VELVET CALLIGRAPHY PANEL EMBROIDERED WITH GOLD AND SIL - Lot 31

LARGE VELVET CALLIGRAPHY PANEL EMBROIDERED WITH GOLD AND SILVER THREAD, MADE FOR THE HOLY PLACES IN MECCA. COMPOSITION CREATED BY THE FAMOUS CALLIGRAPHER OF THE KA'ABA: 'ABD AL-RAHIM AMINI AL-BOUKHARÎ, IN MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA, DATED: 1417 H./1995. Rectangular in shape, with verses from the Qur'an in monumental thuluth script in gilded thread in a cartouche, the borders with palmettes at each corner, unlined, mounted on stretcher. 68 x 170 cm. Provenance: Acquired from Shaykh 'Umar Shaybi, keeper of the keys to Mecca. The inscription is taken from Qur'an XX (Sura TA-HA, v. 82). The tradition of covering the Ka'ba with textiles dates back to pre-Islamic times. As early as 400 A.D., the Ka'ba was covered with luxurious cloth from Yemen (Venetia Porter, ed., Hajj, Journey to the heart of Islam, London, 2012, p. 257). After the Prophet Muhammad's death in 632, the provision of the Ka'ba's fabric became the sovereign's prerogative. Caliphs 'Umar, Mu'awiya and al-Ma'mun, Sultan al-Nasir Qalawun, Sulayman the Magnificent and Muhammad 'Ali Pasha, are all known to have clothed the Ka'ba in the most expensive textiles. Traditionally, textiles for the Ka'ba and holy places were made in Egypt. Some blankets were also made in Yemen, Iran or Istanbul (at the Hereke factory, for example). Opened by Muhammad 'Ali in 1817, the Kharanfash factory in Egypt stopped producing kiswa when King Abd al-'Aziz of Saudi Arabia opened a factory in Mecca in 1927. Textiles for the holy sites include the Ka'ba kiswa (robe), hizam (belt) and sitara (door). The Banu Shayba are the family responsible for renewing the kiswa since the time of the Prophet Mohammed. They also hold the keys to the Ka'ba. Once the kiswa, belt and interior textiles had been replaced, the Banu Sha'ba were responsible for cutting them up and disposing of them. Some parts were reserved, for example, for the Sharif of Mecca or other dignitaries, but they could also sell other pieces in special stores near Bab al-salam (Venetia Porter, ed., op.cit., p.265). The Banu Shayba are the family responsible for renewing the kiswa since the time of the Prophet Mohammed. They also hold the keys to the Ka'ba. Once the kiswa, belt and interior textiles had been replaced, the Banu Shayba were responsible for cutting them up and offering or selling them. Some parts were reserved, for example, for the Sharif of Mecca or other dignitaries, but they could also sell other pieces in special stores near Bab al-salam (Venetia Porter, ed., Hajj, Journey to the heart of Islam, London, 2012, p.265).