130 x 158cm

This large panel of indigo-blue silk is decorated with an all-over pattern in white which consists simply of a repeat of the word Allah (‘God’) in a plain naskh script. The pattern is almost a visual representation of the ritual of dhikr (‘remembrance’) as practised by certain Sufi orders, who attempt to release themselves from concern with this world by the repetition of the name of God.

J.M. Rogers, The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection, London 2010, cat.385, p.325.