Lot 238: AN EMBROIDERED SUFI DERVISH HAT, PERSIA, EARLY 20TH CENTURY

A Persian embroidered cotton dervish cap, or Taj, dating to the late 19th or early 20th century. The headpiece is constructed from four panels of off-white plain-weave cotton, hand-stitched together to form a domed crown. The exterior is densely decorated with black thread embroidery executed in chain stitching. Each of the four panels features a large, lobed cartouche containing Persian calligraphy in Nasta’liq script. One panel displays the word ‘د ر و ی ش’ (Dervish) above a poetic couplet. Another panel features the Shi’a invocation ‘عـلـی ولـی الله’ (Ali is the friend of God). The vertical seams are highlighted with black braided cord. The base of the cap is finished with a geometric fretwork border, and the apex features a stylized four-petal floral motif where the seams meet.