A TALISMANIC SHIRT
Possibly Iran or Northern India, late 19th - early 20th century

The kaftan-like shirt with round neck and long front opening, the two sections of glazed cotton joined by hand, elaborately painted in polychromes and gold, and inscribed in black and sepia red inks in a complex programme of various scripts including kufic, naskh, thuluth, and nasta’liq, the front in symmetrical format with square grids containing the holy names of Allah in alternating red and black ink on the shoulders, lobed scrolling cartouches and lozenges with the ‘declaration of faith’ in kufic script, within a border of black nasta’liq with a poetic invocation to Allah by al-Bouseiri (1213 - 1295), surrounded by rows of holy and protective text, the black naskh of sura Al-Fath (48), the ode in praise of the Prophet by al-Bouseiri in black nasta’liq, and sura Al-Mulk (67) in red thuluth script, the sleeves with the names of the Five Holy Persons (Panj Tan) in black nasta’liq within scrolling floral vines, the round neck fastened with a fine knotted silk toggle and loop with metallic thread, the back with an octagonal centre with the ’L’ of four radiating Ali meeting in the centre, part of the Throne verse (Al-Baqara, sura 2:255), within a square, each side with protective prayers and verses, each corner with an Allah in kufic, the hem with gold-stamped trellis grid, two seals in front lower right accompanied by ownership note of Muhammad Hossein, the same seals in back lower left more legible 'Al-Mulk Lillah' above the name Mahmoud 1303(?)AH (1885 - 1886 AD), the smaller seal repeating the name of the owner, Muhammad Hossein, edges unfinished, 101cm long, 106cm at the hem.

A tour de force of various calligraphic and illumination styles, the power of this talismanic shirt is as much in its opulent presentation as in the power of its words. The main source of inspiration for this kind of cotton talismanic shirt was rooted in the Islamic common belief that objects inscribed with the 99 names of Allah, Qur'anic verses, prayers, and numerological charts could shower blessings upon their carriers and protect them from harm and misfortune.