Robe, Central Asia, 20th century, Wool, woven, felted and embroidered, AKM PS24

Robe, Central Asia, 20th century, Wool, woven, felted and embroidered, AKM PS24

This luxurious robe tells four different stories. It shows the court of wise King Solomon, illustrating his marvellous ability to understand the languages of all creatures, followed by that of the Abbasid caliph Haroun al-Rashid, offering a ninth-century model for exemplary rule. Featured in The Thousand and One Nights, Haroun al-Rashid founded the Grand Library or 'House of Wisdom' in Baghdad and exchanged gifts with the European ruler Charlemagne - including silk, ivory, and an elephant named Abul-Abbas. Other stories featured on the robe include the Greek romance of Vamiq and Azra, translated into Farsi in pre-Islamic times, along with the story of Sultan Sanjar and the old woman from the "Treasury of Secrets." The first of the five parts of Nizami's Khamsa, it concerns religion, morality, and power. The images woven into this robe show how textiles, almost as much as books, served to carry many stories along the Silk Roads.

Material: Wool, woven, felted and embroidered

AKM PS24

Central Asia

Photographer credit: Courtesy of the Aga Khan Museum

20th century

Aga Khan Museum

Aga Khan Museum

Robe