Talismanic cloth

Neatly inscribed Arabic calligraphy covers the indigo background of this square cloth. It is significantly different from other textiles with stylized calligraphy (see the textile to your right) that were found in Java and Sumatra, in which the artists may have had no real knowledge of the script but were trying to evoke its form. This cloth’s design is possibly printed rather than made with batik.

Muslim talismanic shirts are known from Iran, Turkey, India, and elsewhere. They can contain Qur’anic inscriptions, the Shahada (profession of faith), and the 99 Names of Allah, as well as charts of numbers and astrological information. The square here is divided into many outlined sections. The word “Allah” and other Names of God can be seen amid the triangles bordering the cloth. Large white wing-like shapes likely contain protective prayers. A circle in the center may contain Arabic names for the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus and the dog Qitmir.