A CALLIGRAPHIC COMPOSITION (LEVHA) WITH THE MAWLAWI TURBAN

SIGNED FIKRI AL-MAWLAWI, OTTOMAN BALKANS, DATED AH 1291/1874-75 AD

Details

A CALLIGRAPHIC COMPOSITION (LEVHA) WITH THE MAWLAWI TURBAN
SIGNED FIKRI AL-MAWLAWI, OTTOMAN BALKANS, DATED AH 1291/1874-75 AD
Opaque pigments and gold on paper, the white turban wrapped around the tall pink headdress, two flags with the Profession of Faith (shahada) at either side, inscribed in gold jali thuluth within the turban and below, with gold frame and gold and white floral illuminated borders, signed and dated along the bottom side, mounted, framed and glazed
15.3/4 x 11.3/8in. (40 x 29cm.)

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Lot Essay

This type of Mawlawi headgear is known as cuneydi destar. In this composition it symbolizes the founder of the Mawlawi order of dervishes, Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi. The turban is placed on a stool as a mark of respect. The gold inscriptions 'Ya Hazrat Mawlana' are invocations to Rumi. Fikri al-Mawlawi could be the scribe Muhammad Fikri (d. 1879), postnisin of the MawlawiKhana in Sarajevo (Dzemal Cehajic, Derviski Redovi u Jugoslovenskim Zemljama, Sarajevo, 1986, p.31).

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