Description:

: Calligraphic Black Silk Lampas Tomb Cover Fragment
Ottoman Egypt, circa 1800

Description:

This richly woven black silk lampas textile is a tomb cover fragment from Ottoman-controlled Egypt, dating to around the year 1800 CE. It features a sophisticated calligraphic design created in a tone-on-tone silk weave, with Arabic inscriptions rendered in cursive thuluth script. Though the tone is monochrome, the play of light on the woven surface reveals the deeply structured text and makes the sacred content discernible in person.

The fragment is likely from a larger ceremonial textile, perhaps a Kiswa or a local shrine cover, traditionally draped over tombs of saints or religious sites. The calligraphy most likely includes Qur'anic phrases, Shahada, or other devotional epigraphy, arranged in repeating panels across the fabric in a bold diagonal format.

Materials & Technique:

  • Material: Silk

  • Weave Type: Lampas, a luxury weaving technique combining a ground weave with a supplementary patterning weave, allowing inscriptions and designs to stand out subtly.

  • Color Scheme: Black-on-black

  • Calligraphy: Arabic, likely thuluth style

Dimensions:

  • 106 x 90 cm

Condition:

  • Well-preserved for its age with minimal wear, considering its ceremonial and environmental exposure. Some minor creasing and edge fray may be visible, consistent with age and handling.

Provenance:

  • From a private collection, believed to have originated from Ottoman Egypt, where similar textiles were commissioned for shrines, mosques, or use in funerary contexts.

Comparable Examples & References:

  • A comparable black silk kiswa panel from the 18th century is housed in the Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo.

  • Similar lampas fragments with calligraphy appear in collections at the British Museum and Topkapı Palace Museum, often associated with tomb or shrine use.

Significance:

  • A striking and tactile artifact from Ottoman religious textile traditions, this piece exemplifies both devotional craftsmanship and the high degree of technical and aesthetic achievement in silk weaving during the late Ottoman period in Egypt.

Its relatively large size suggests it may have adorned a central tomb area or major shrine, signifying religious reverence and imperial patronage.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

MasterCard, Visa, Wire Transfer

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
London, United Kingdom

PLAKAS

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