Prayer Mat thumbnail 1
Not on display

Prayer Mat

1800-1870 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Prayer mat of woven silk and cotton, backed with roller-printed cotton and faced with woven wool.
This is woven in one piece and there are no seams. The design is in two sections: [1] the main piece is blue and white cotton surrounded by a yellow silk and blue cotton border; [2] the upper panel of inscriptions is woven in silk. The warp throughout the piece is pale yellow silk.
The main panel has a white cotton ground with offset rows of a small stepped lozenge in blue with white centre. This pattern is broken in the middle of the upper part by straight lines forming an angular niche. The white ground contains the border pattern in blue. The vertical lines are angled at the bottom inner edge and 2 extra rosettes at the inner top create a pointed arch. The inscriptions are woven with silk. A double line of yellow on a blue ground forms a border around 4 lines of white on red. There is an upper line with a white ground and nine and a half red cartouches with white lettering.
The yellow border has a yellow ground with a blue rosette alternating with a blue carnation linked to a pair of split leaves in the side borders, the leaves forming an undulating meander, but this is not as clear in the upper and lower borders. The blue carnation in the side borders is enclosed within an outline, but this is not so in the upper and lower borders.
Backing: pieced; brown ground printed with small white twigs with small berries and tiny white scattered dots.
Facing: bias cut striped wool: white stripe with small stylized botehs in black and pink and dark red; red stripe with small stylized botehs in dark green, dark blue, white, orange and blue.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
cotton yarn, woollen yarn, silk thread, weaving, printing, sewing
Brief description
woven cotton, 1800s, Persian; Inscription
Physical description
Prayer mat of woven silk and cotton, backed with roller-printed cotton and faced with woven wool.
This is woven in one piece and there are no seams. The design is in two sections: [1] the main piece is blue and white cotton surrounded by a yellow silk and blue cotton border; [2] the upper panel of inscriptions is woven in silk. The warp throughout the piece is pale yellow silk.
The main panel has a white cotton ground with offset rows of a small stepped lozenge in blue with white centre. This pattern is broken in the middle of the upper part by straight lines forming an angular niche. The white ground contains the border pattern in blue. The vertical lines are angled at the bottom inner edge and 2 extra rosettes at the inner top create a pointed arch. The inscriptions are woven with silk. A double line of yellow on a blue ground forms a border around 4 lines of white on red. There is an upper line with a white ground and nine and a half red cartouches with white lettering.
The yellow border has a yellow ground with a blue rosette alternating with a blue carnation linked to a pair of split leaves in the side borders, the leaves forming an undulating meander, but this is not as clear in the upper and lower borders. The blue carnation in the side borders is enclosed within an outline, but this is not so in the upper and lower borders.
Backing: pieced; brown ground printed with small white twigs with small berries and tiny white scattered dots.
Facing: bias cut striped wool: white stripe with small stylized botehs in black and pink and dark red; red stripe with small stylized botehs in dark green, dark blue, white, orange and blue.
Dimensions
  • Length: 111cm
  • Width: 66cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • بسم الله الرحمان الحيم (Woven inscription in white within cartouches with a red ground, along the upper edge.)
    Translation
    In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
  • اللهم صل على محمد المصطفى (Woven inscription in yellow on a blue ground, framing the inscription in white on red. The text is repeated as a continuous pattern.)
    Translation
    O God, bless Muhammad, the Chosen One.
  • سبحان ربي الاعلى وبحمده (Woven inscription in white on a red ground in the panel framed by an inscription in yellow on a blue ground. The inscription is repeated as a continuous pattern. These words are said when the worshipper performs a prostration during prayer.)
    Translation
    Glory be to my Lord the Most High, and praise be His.
Bibliographic references
  • Illustrated in 'Iranian Textiles' by Jennifer Wearden and Patricia L Baker, V&A Publishing 2010, plate 25 page 107.
  • J. Curtis, I. Sarikhani Sandmann and T. Stanley, Epic Iran: 5000 Years of Culture, London: V&A Publishing, 2021. Page 158, cat. 123.
Collection
Accession number
1069-1900

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Record createdOctober 8, 2008
Record URL
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