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Persian, persia

Tomb Cover, early 1700s

Now On View

Description

Maker

Culture

Persian

Title

Tomb Cover

Year

early 1700s

Medium

Silk plain weave with supplemental wefts and triple inner warps

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Techniques

Dimensions

Length: 335.3 cm (132 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

First: O Remembrance of the Lion of Repeated Attack! O Husayn!; second: O God! O Muhammad! O'Ali!; third: Lo! We have given thee a signal victory

Place

persia

Type

Credit

Bequest of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich

Object Number

55.536

About

This late Safavid tomb cover bears text in bands of green, gold, red, and black that refers to Shi’ite Islam, the religious sect dominant during the Safavid Dynasty. The text reads, 'O Remembrance of the Lion of Repeated Attack! O Husayn! / O God! O Muhammad! O Ali! / Lo! We have given thee a signal victory.' This may imply the use of the tomb cover for the burial of a man of high class who had been killed in battle.

First: O Remembrance of the Lion of Repeated Attack! O Husayn!; second: O God! O Muhammad! O'Ali!; third: Lo! We have given thee a signal victory

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Projects & Publications

Publications

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Asian Art Galleries

The gold Persian script on this textile refers to the death of Husayn, a leader killed in 680 CE by Sunni Umayyads during the Battle of Karbala. His death brought about the birth of Shi’a Islam, the religious sect dominant during the Safavid Dynasty (1501–1736 CE). The text here reads, “O Remembrance of the Lion of Repeated Attack! O Husayn! / O God! O Muhammad! O ‘Ali! / Lo! We have given thee a signal victory.” This textile may have been made to cover the tomb of a high-status man who died in battle, as martyrdom is valued in Shi’a tradition.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Tomb Cover with the accession number of 55.536. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.