Large weave with ascribed magical properties, for protection of the home, for love, and for other matters. Iran, [late 19th or early 20th century]. Persian (Farsi).
Ink on thin cotton fabric; thick cotton cloth.
Large weave with handwritten texts. In the margins, instructions are given in Persian regarding proper use of the weave and its potential virtues, more specifically, how to spread it out in the house so as to regain the love of a husband or lover whose affection may have waned; instructions on how a woman experiencing trouble getting pregnant should fast and then break her fast; methods of use in the home as a defense against epidemics and plagues; and more.
Most of the weave's surface is covered with numerical tables that apparently represent astrological calculations. Large figure cut out at center. Weave entirely sewn onto newer (pink) cotton cloth.
Shi'ite Persian weaves of this type were in use throughout the Persian region as recently as the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were ascribed healing properties, promising protection against disease, and dealing with all manner of issues related to the occult. Similar weaves were used in a similar vein by the Iranian Sufi community, but here they were intended from the outset to be worn as undergarments.
Approx. 120X150 cm. Overall good condition. Few tears, stains, and blemishes.