Cairene Ottoman prayer carpet / sajjadah, 16th century. al Sabah Collection. Kuwait National Museum


Cairene Ottoman prayer rug also known as "Sajjahda". The inner field decorated with a pair of slender columns rising from bases in the form of a two-storey architectural construction within a narrow enclosure and ending in small foliate capitals which are surmounted by the small dome of the construction topped by a tiny finial that is supporting a finely scalloped ogee arch and set against a large crimson red ground. The ground is plain apart from a mosque lamp suspended by three chains from the apex of the arch. The spandrels with undulating stemmed foliage bearing a variety of small blossoms on a cream white ground, surmounted by a cross-panel enclosing two cartouches, each filled with fine stylised half-palmettes and palmettes forming ogee arche-shaped enclosures in counterchanging position with small six-petalled blossoms in the interstices. The principal border with composite palmettes alternating with rosette blossoms in counterchanging position, each topped by addorsed downward-curling feathery lanceolate leaves and with stemmed hyacinths, carnations, tulips and roses in the interstitial areas set against a pale blue ground. Outlined by a guard band enclosing small star-filled rosettes on a dark blue-green ground, the latter framed on either side by narrow bands with vertically-conjoined "S"-shapes on a red ground.

Date Created: 950 AH / 1543
Decoration: Vegetal and architectural patterns.
Physical Format: w125 x h172 cm
Type: Dyed & knotted
Medium: Silk, wool and cotton.