Description:

A SILK AND METAL THREAD BROCADED CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL FROM THE KISWAH, SAUDI ARABIA, 20TH CENTURY
Saudi Arabia, 20th century

Description:
A striking panel from the Kiswah of the Kaaba, woven in black silk and richly embroidered with silver and gold metal thread. The inscription is rendered in majestic thuluth script, displaying a Qur’anic verse invoking divine mercy and sovereignty. The composition is framed by a band of elegant foliate scrollwork and stylised arabesques.

This section once formed part of the revered covering of the Kaaba in Mecca, traditionally replaced each year during the Hajj pilgrimage. The intricate embroidery and sacred inscriptions mark the Kiswah as both a devotional object and a supreme example of Islamic textile art.

Dimensions: 300cm x 100cm

Comparable examples:

  • A Kiswah panel from the early 20th century sold at Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 11 June 2018, Lot 89, for £18,750.

  • A similar embroidered textile panel from the Kiswah achieved £20,000 at Christie’s, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 27 October 2022, Lot 155.

  • A large silver and gold-embroidered Kiswah band sold at Sotheby’s, Arts of the Islamic World, 25 October 2017, Lot 161, for £23,750.

Note:
The Kiswah is one of the most sacred textile traditions in the Islamic world. Embroidered annually and presented as a royal endowment, fragments such as this are highly revered and collected, often preserved as heirlooms or gifts of spiritual and artistic significance.

 

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

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
£0 £99 £5
£100 £199 £10
£200 £499 £20
£500 £999 £50
£1,000 £1,999 £100
£2,000 £4,999 £200
£5,000 £9,999 £500
£10,000 £19,999 £1,000
£20,000 £49,999 £2,000
£50,000 £99,999 £5,000
£100,000 £199,999 £10,000
£200,000 £499,999 £20,000
£500,000 £999,999 £50,000
£1,000,000 + £100,000