AN OTTOMAN TALISMANIC SHIRT, 19TH CENTURY

A shirt (jama) covered with text written in naskh, kufic and thuluth scripts, in assorted colors, arranged in numerous panels, roundels, cartouches, cypress tree forms. The inscriptions include quotations from the Quran, invocations and prayers to Allah, written indifferent scripts, in various sizes and shapes and changing patterns, in black, red, blue and gold. To the center of the chest area two roundels enclosing two paintings of Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabawi each flanked by roundels of 'Allah' and 'Muhammed' on a gilt ground, two tables with talismanic numbers, different Quranic surahs on both sides of the neck such as surah al-Ikhlas, al-Nas, al-Falaq etc.. To the backside a central star composed of verse 13 from surah Al-Saff surrounded by four squares of Kalimaat Al-Tawhid in large Kufic script and six roundels of Allah prayers in naskh script, further stylized with quotations of the Quran containing attributions to Allah for protection during battles, as well as Arabesque scrolls. Length: 98 cm Sleeve to sleeve: 108 cm