Lot 239: AN EMBROIDERED SUFI DERVISH HAT, PERSIA, 20TH CENTURY

An embroidered skullcap, known as a taj, constructed from multiple vertical panels of cream-coloured woven textile, likely cotton or linen. The panels are joined and defined by vertical bands of dense black thread embroidery featuring geometric diamond and scalloped patterns at the head and foot of each section. Each vertical panel contains three levels of hand-embroidered Arabic calligraphy in black thread. The top level features the characters H and W forming the word هو (Huwa), the middle level contains the characters A, L, and Y forming the name علي (Ali), and the bottom level features the characters M, D, and D forming the word مدد (Madad). This stacked arrangement forms the Sufi and Shi’a invocation ‘Hu Ali Madad’ (O Ali, help). The crown of the cap is gathered to a central point. The interior is lined with a similar cream-coloured textile, with hand-stitching visible along the vertical seams and the reinforced rim.