Tessuto da tenda Khedival Khayamiya Egitto, inizio... Lot n° 31

Large heavy cotton fabric embroidered with central rosette surmounted by four niches, two cartouches with Arabic inscription (Nasr al men Allah, i.e., God is a helper) and crowned finial in the upper area. Fabrics of this served as decoration of the tents and functional to protect against heat and dust. The etymology comes from the Arabic word khayma (tent). Stylistically they are distinguished by a heavy cotton base and hand-woven applications in bright colors. Antique specimens are rare and musealized (an exhibition was held at the Museum of Islamic Art Malaysia from October 2015 to January 2016) and can also be found in historical photographs or in 19th-century Orientalist paintings.