About this piece
This carpet is a faithful tribute to the Kiswah that drapes the door of the Holy Kaaba in Makkah. The upper field is arranged in tiers of calligraphic cartouches and medallions in ivory and antique gold on a black ground, with a row of lantern motifs and a central panel of flowing white calligraphy. Below, a pair of large calligraphic roundels flank the arched outline of the door, which opens into the gilded double doors with their own roundels, inscription panels and ornamental handles, all worked in gold, amber and bronze.
Woven in silk on a silk foundation, the carpet captures the shimmer of gold thread and the contrast of the original. The amber and gold areas glow strongly in changing light, while the ivory calligraphy stands out crisply against the dark ground.
It is hand-knotted at a 24 x 24 density, roughly 576 knots per square inch. This fineness is essential for legible calligraphy and lets each letterform be drawn cleanly.
Made as a wall hanging and display piece. It is a meaningful gift and a centrepiece for a home, majlis, office or prayer room.
