Number 1571
Material Wool
Style Prayer Rug
Type Tribal
Origin Arab
Size 193 x 127
Age 1900
A unique and frankly puzzling woven artwork. The only certainty is that it was not commercially made and that it has a clear religious theme. It is entirely bichromatic without any dye materials: a field of undyed white sheep's wool and rows and rows of Arabic calligraphy in undyed black sheep's wool.
The text consists of a lengthy prayer to the souls of the martyred Imam Hossein and his family. It reads out like what is called a "ziyarat" prayer, one recited when visiting the holy shrine in Karbala where he is buried.
As such this is an important and unique work of art with tremendous religious and socio-cultural value. Provenance is quite hard to establish. It isn't a Persian rug and the weave is closer to Anatolian habits. However the familiarity with Arabic script suggests this may be a Bedouin rug from Syria or Iraq و الله اعلم
You can't only be a customer of Hadi Maktabi. While his main purpose is rug dealing, he starts with story telling and ends with history selling. That's what I call high-end art curating and closing it all with an entertaining friendship. George El Hani, CEO Levica, Lebanon 🇱🇧
I first met Dr. Maktabi as a lecturer on carpet history and was captivated by his passion for the subject. Only later I knew him as a dealer, though even in our financial transactions, Hadi has been a gentle guide and friend. He has understood my taste and interests and made wonderful suggestions, but never in a pushy way. That is to say I have enjoyed working with him on several levels and wish to continue our excellent relations and dealings far into the future. A. Harvey Pincis, formerly Dar Al Athar Al Islamiyyah Museum (Kuwait), Latvia 🇱🇻
To me personally there is no surprise, event or frankly anything that gets me more excited than the purchase of a treasured piece of understated artwork such as that of a proper vintage/antique carpet. The sourcing, grading and authentication of these pieces is no small task but is of the highest importance. Through the respected dealer Hadi Maktabi all that is guaranteed, and rest assured the one thing I can guarantee personally as a client is a first class service from the initial selection process till it gets delivered right to your door step. It was an undeniably special experience, with hundreds of carpets to choose from, will definitely be visiting again. Thank you dear Hadi. Habeeb Al Monawer, Kuwait 🇰🇼