Worked in precious threads

This book satchel allowed a devotional collection of prayers and excerpts from the Qur’ān, dating from the eighteenth century, to be worn. In Islam, the Qur’ān in Arabic is the word of God, the intersection of the eternal and the temporal. The text has a talismanic force, so a book containing it becomes a protection as well as a comfort to its wearer. Picked out in silver thread on the satchel is the Qur’ānic text, ‘none but the purified shall touch’.

Dimensions
Satchel: 156 x 226 x 44 mm
Manuscript: 202 x 126 x 21 mm

Weight
Satchel and manuscript: 525 g
Satchel: 213 g

Donated by Robert Grenville Gayer-Anderson, 1943