Number pon71
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 don’t just buy a rug from Dr Maktabi... It’s an experience, a rich one! You learn about history, culture & art. And more importantly you feel euphoric!” Dr Siamak Abolhassani, Expert Medical Care Clinics, Victoria, Australia 🇦🇺
J’ai fait la connaissance de Hadi lors de la préparation de l’exposition « L’Empire des roses, chefs-d’œuvre de l’art persan du 19ème siècle » qui a eu lieu au Louvre-Lens en 2018 et à laquelle il a participé par le prêt de tapis exceptionnels. J’avais alors été impressionnée par ses connaissances et sa passion pour les tapis orientaux. Cette rencontre a marqué le début d’une collaboration riche et fructueuse. Elle a notamment permis au musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac de voir ses collections iraniennes s’enrichir de plusieurs tapis et tentures dont certains n’ont pas leur équivalent dans les musées occidentaux. Ce que j’apprécie chez Hadi ? C’est son professionnalisme, son dynamisme et l’engouement qu’il a pour son métier ! Hana Chidiac, Curator of the Middle East Department at the Musee Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, Paris, France 🇫🇷
The idea of purchasing valuable rugs and other artwork online from an overseas seller is daunting for several reasons, not least of which is the fact that, not being able to examine and feel the rug for yourself, you are never entirely certain that the origin, age or condition of the rug corresponds with the dealer’s description. For me, I could never take this step unless I had absolute trust in the integrity of the dealer, and my recent experience with Hadi confirms that my faith in him was well placed. Every detail of the antique rug expertly explained by Hadi was accurate and when I finally received the actual rug, it turned out to be even more stunning than his photos depicted. F. Alsagoff, Singapore