{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O109198"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O109198/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AY3041/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AY3041/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AY3041","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011FA1734","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB7867","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O109198/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O109198","accessionNumber":"779-1892","objectType":"Tomb cover","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This piece of silk is from a tomb cover. Silks with this zigzag design on a green ground were made for the Prophet Muhammad’s tomb in Medina. The main inscription is the Shahadah, which reads, ‘There is no god but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God’. The narrower band below it mentions the first four caliphs, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali.\r\n\r\nCaring for the Prophet’s tomb was a notable honour. When the Ottoman dynasty ruled Medina (1517–1916), special textiles were made to cover his tomb. Similar textiles were sent to decorate the Ka’bah in Mecca. Contact with the holy places imbued these covers with ‘barakah’ or divine grace. When the covers were renewed, pieces were preserved as relics.","physicalDescription":"A length of green woven silk in lampas weave, with inscriptions in a zigzag design.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silk (textile)","id":"AAT243428"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Lampas-woven silk","categories":[{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"}],"styles":[{"text":"Ottoman","id":"AAT21614"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2006AY3041","2011FA1734","2017KB7867"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"A","id":"THES304271"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Tomb cover","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Bursa","id":"x34535"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1517-1600","earliest":"1512-01-01","latest":"1600-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"86","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"49.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"3.2","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"plus board","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"<b>Main inscription.</b> This is the <i>Shahadah</i>, the essential statement of Muslim belief: \"There is no god but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God.\""},{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"<b>Inscription in the narrow line above the main inscription.</b> The first word paraphrases the first three words of verse 9 of the surah <i>al-Saff</i> (surah LXI), <i>i.e.</i> /huwa'lladhii !arsala rasuulahu/, \"He Who has sent His messenger\", has become /!arsalahu/, \"He sent him\". The rest of verse 9 follows: \"with guidance and the religion of truth that he may proclaim it over all religion, even though the pagans detest it.\""},{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"<b>Inscription in the narrow line below the main inscription.</b> This is a prayer for the first four caliphs, Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and 'Ali, and for all the Companions of the Prophet."},{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":" ","type":"","note":""},{"content":" ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"The zigzag pattern on this piece associates it with the special textiles woven for dressing the holy places of Islam in Hijaz. Green-ground textiles of this type were used to dress the Tomb of the Prophet in Medina. \r\n\r\nAccording to the scheme devised by Dr Selin Ipek, this textile can be dated to the period immediately after the Ottoman conquest of Egypt and Syria in 1516-17, when the Ottoman sultan became protector of the Two Noble Sanctuaries at Mecca and Medina in succession to the Mamluk sultans (ruled 1250-1517). The zigzag format of the design had already been established in the Mamluk period, while the palmettes set on the points of the zigzags are also found on at least one example from the earlier period. The palmettes seem to have disappeared from the design by the beginning of the 17th century.\r\n\r\nThe style of calligraphy is also less typically Ottoman, with echoes of the decorative inscriptions of the Mamluk period.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Green silk made for the Prophet's tomb in Medina, Turkey (probably Bursa), 1517-1600.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"pp.59-61","free":"Ipek, Dr. Selin, Dressing the Prophet. Textiles from the Haramayn. <u>Hali</u>. Summer  2011, Issue 168"},{"reference":{"text":"Miller, Lesley Ellis, and Ana Cabrera Lafuente, with Claire Allen-Johnstone, eds. <u>Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion</u>. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2021. ISBN 978-0-500-48065-6.","id":"AUTH389403"},"details":"This object features in the publication Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion (2021)","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Jameel Gallery \r\n\r\nSection of the Cover of the Prophet's Tomb\r\nTurkey, probably Bursa\r\n1517-1600\r\n\r\nSilks with zigzag designs on a green ground were made for the Prophet Muhammad's tomb in Medina. The main inscription is the Shahadah, which reads, 'There is no god but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God.' The narrower band below it mentions the first four caliphs, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. \r\n\r\nSilk thread in lampas weave\r\n\r\nMuseum no. 779-1892","date":{"text":"2006-2012","earliest":"2006-01-01","latest":"2012-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["779-1892"],"accessionNumberNum":"779","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1892,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LM6101","2019LW7360"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-14","recordCreationDate":"2005-02-09","availableToBook":true}}