The Robe as a Storybook
High-ranking officials in Islamic ruling territories were sometimes awarded with an embroidered armband that displayed Arabic inscriptions to provide blessings on the wearer. These textiles were called Tiraz. Textiles and clothing are often illustrative of the wearer’s allegiance, as well as their political or societal standing. The origins of the AKM robe are unknown and consequently, its purposes for why it was worn or who might have worn it, is also hidden. Perhaps, the symbolic traits of the Tiraz can be applied to this study of the robe to be understood as both an object of aesthetics as well as metaphorical and symbolic values. In doing so, this metaphorical approach tackles the question of why all four stories are depicted on a singular robe, and further, what its intended meaning was for either the maker or wearer of the robe. In this, I use the function of the Tiraz in relation to the AKM robe, and argue that perhaps, the robe uses its four stories in a similar fashion to the inscriptions on the Tiraz, where each story invokes a blessing and a lesson for its wearer.
Examining the Lessons of the Four Tales
Vamiq and Azra
The story of the Virgin and Her Lover spans a thousand year period, beginning in the 1st Century BC, where the princess virgin, Parthenope encounters Metiochus outside the Temple of Hera in Samos, where he has recently fled to after leaving his kingdom and escaping his wicked step-mother (Gillows 2010, 27). Their brief encounter sparks desire within Parthenope who soon encourages her father to invite Metiochus for a dinner with the royal court, where the two meet again and engage in a debate concerning Eros, the God of love (Gillows 2010, 35). This discussion of love confirms their feelings for one another and is likely the exact scene depicted on the robe, with both characters facing each other, seemingly engaged in a conversation. Much of the surviving Greek transcripts have been damaged and as a result, the ending of the lovers’ story is unclear. In some scholarly interpretations, Parthenope is described as entirely committed to her virtue that she willingly cuts her hair, condemning herself to ugliness and flees to Campania. In other interpretations, Parthenope is revered as a martyred saint who, for the sake of her virtue, pleads to God to receive her soul as she chooses to die as a virgin ((Gillows 2010, 65).
Around 1078 AD, the poet Unsuri wrote the romantic epic “Vamiq and Adhra''. In the Persian tale however, more detail is provided about the character of Adhra (Parthenope). Here, Adhra is described as talented, wise and even given command over much of the kingdom’s affairs. The following excerpt from the Persian tale demonstrates her vast knowledge:
“In deliberation the cultured child became without need of the instruction of the learned. When he did not see the like of her in skill, her father chose the name of Adhra for that Moon.” (Gillow 2010, 85).
It is not only her beauty that appeals to Vamiq (Metiochus) during their encounter at the royal court’s dinner, rather it was also her intelligence that struck the newcomer. During this dinner, a royal philosopher seated at the dinner table notices the unspoken air of love between the two characters and encourages them to debate over the effigy of love. After their debate, both Vamiq and Adhra are described as consumed by love for one another. However, Adhra’s choice to visit Vamiq’s living quarters catches the eyes of her tutor who reports to her father that she has disgraced herself and accuses Vamiq of wickedness and banishes him to a life of service on the warfront (Gillow 2010, 143). Similarly to the Greek tale, the damages to the original text leave the story unfinished although interpretations have suggested that Adhra’s shame causes her to resort to suicide.
The AKM PS24 Robe is a 20th-century artefact, depicting tales from thousands of years before its conception, a surprising revelation that such tales, whether oral or written, survived for thousands of years that it might have been well-known even in the 20th-century. Outside of Antioch in the ancient city of Daphne, a floor mosaic was found depicting Metiochus and Parthenope seated next to one another (Gillows 2010, 57). Author John Gillows notes that many wealthy households in Roman Syria often contained floor mosaics depicting the story of Parthenope and Metiochus. Perhaps the enduring popularity of the couple in household decorations signifies a desire to share a love as great as that of Metiochus and Parthenope (Gillows 2010, 191).
In applying the concept of blessings as derived from the Tiraz, the tale of Vamiq and Adhra can be observed beyond the tragic endings of their stories, and rather, draw from the virtuous characteristics of their love story. The creator of the robe might have wanted the robe’s wearer to be blessed with the knowledge of Adhra, that wherever the wearer travelled, they would impress anyone they encountered with their knowledge, skill and culture. Alternatively, the underlying message might have also transformed Adhra’s heroic martyrdom into a message of her complete devotion and love for God. Perhaps this then, was the hope for the wearer of the robe, that they, like Adhra, would remain devoted and in return, blessed by God. What of Vamiq then? His story of fleeing his home and falling in love with the virgin princess might also be a desired blessing for the wearer of the robe, that wherever they might travel, they would find refuge and love in unfamiliar territories.
Haroun al-Rashid and the ‘House of Wisdom'
Harun al-Rashid, the Caliph of Baghdad whose name roughly translates to “Aaron the Well-Guided” is another main character in the robe’s illustrations found in the bottom left corner of the back-side of the robe. The embroidery depicts a retelling of the Caliph who peacefully exchanges the gifts of his kingdom with Charlemange, the Christian King of the Franks (Subramaniam 2018). As the Caliph of the Abbasid dynasty, he is described as being knowledgeable in the study of the Quran, law and philosophy (Clot 1989, 26). As such, his name “Harun the Well-Guided” honors his legacy of knowledge, his rise to power, and his appreciation of the arts, sciences and the Qur’an. In historical accounts, the Caliph is well-known for his support of the creation of the Grand Library of Baghdad, also known as the “House of Wisdom” (Aga Khan Museum). His name is also heavily referenced in The Thousand and One Nights, where he is honored as a wealthy and powerful Caliph. In this book of legends, the Caliph is described as, “the most generous prince of his time and the most magnificent” (Clot 1989, 33).
Unlike the previous tales, this illustrated encounter between Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemange and the Caliph does not exist in Arabic sources, rather, it was largely spread through Western accounts where the Caliph was celebrated as a wealthy figure who presented gifts of great fortune and grandeur to King Charles, most notably, a grand elephant (Clot 1989, 251). For this reason, it is difficult to interpret what the illustrated scene depicts specifically within the encounter between Charlemagne and the Caliph. The scene certainly does not appear to reveal any large treasures, but rather, depicts various men seated around the Caliph, and presumably, Charlemagne seated directly facing the Caliph.
The scene more accurately depicts the relation of those who appeared before the Caliph and the customs that took place within this meeting. The book titled, Haroun al-Rashid and the World of the Thousand and One Nights, mentions the customs of the nadim, the Caliph’s most privileged inner-circle who would gather with him during evenings (Clot 1989, 51). In these gatherings, four to five men would sit on either side of the Caliph, awaiting his permission to be seated in his presence, and were adorned with special garments and turbans of silk as they sat, told stories, recited verses and answered his questions. The text also notes that the sole purpose of the meetings was to give full attention to the king, and speakers must only make eye contact with the Caliph when speaking (Clot 1989, 51-52). It appears in the robe that the Caliph makes direct eye contact only with one individual, presumably Charlemange, as the others remain still, staring only at the Caliph.
Through Western retellings of the exchanges between the empires, it is understood that the Caliph and the Emperor had a common enemy: the Byzantine empire (Clot 1989, 102). Charlemagne had sought to meet with the Caliph and had chosen to send three envoys in his place to discuss a recent issue of an attack on Christian settlements in Jerusalem, hoping to find favour from the king and help with restoring the damages to the needy christians. Many writings detail the envoys return with the infamous elephant Abu’l Abbas, presented to King Charlemagne as a gift from the Caliph.
What then can be interpreted from this story for the wearer of the robe? Based on the state of relations between the Byzantine and Persian empires, the robe’s scene apparently presents a story of peaceful religious and cultural exchanges. Within this state of peace, I suggest that the scene itself offers a blessing of peaceful exchanges for the wearer of the robe, who as examined in this essay, may have been a traveller or nomad who would benefit from such a blessing.
Prophet Sulaiman / King Solomon
In my initial research a year prior to the creation of this exhibit, I made the assumption that the Solomon in this embroidery was referencing the Christian / Judaic figure of King Solomon and consequently, focused solely on the features of the Christian and Judaic depictions of Solomon.
It was only when translating the Farsi script above the embroidery that it was revealed this was “Prophet Sulaiman” - the same king who, in the Qur’an and Islamic tales, is revered as more than just a king, but also a prophet. It was here that I began my research into understanding how Islamic storytelling has traditionally depicted the Prophet and King, and more importantly, what he might have represented to the makers and wearers of this robe.
An excerpt from the Quran found in An-Naml 27:16-17 writes,:
"16 And David was succeeded by Solomon, who said, "O people! We have been taught the language of birds, and been given everything we need. This is indeed a great privilege. 17 Solomon's forces of jinn, humans, and birds were rallied for him, perfectly organized" (Qur’an).
A unique trait of King Solomon that I had not found in my research on the Judaic and Christian depictions of the king, was his control of the Jinn in Islamic retellings. The Jinn, also known as Div in the Persian language, were a force of demons whom according to the Qur’an and other Islamic epic retellings of Prophet Sulaiman, were under his direct control (27:16-17, Qur’an). These Jinn / Divs can be noticed on the AKM PS24 robe just beneath the Prophet, adorned with horns on their heads. As depicted in the following visual comparison, the presentation of Solomon enthroned above all creatures and mankind, including his ability to control demons, is a common theme in artistic retellings of the great, wise king. Despite these three illuminated manuscripts deriving from three separate regions, they each take the same method of approach to displaying the sheer greatness of the Prophet Sulaiman through his ability to communicate with all mankind and creatures, a power possessed by none other.
The story of the Prophet and King Solomon in relation to his depiction on the robe is understandably symbolic of great knowledge and wisdom. The wearer of this robe might then have also been awarded this majestic robe with the hope that they too, might receive the blessings of Solomon, that is, the blessings of immense power, knowledge and incomparable wisdom. The Prophet Solomon ruled from his throne in Jerusalem and was a person who is detailed in religious scriptures to have been blessed with infinite wisdom by God. The reference to the story in a Central Asian robe further demonstrates the spread of religious ideologies like Judaic, Islamic and Christian teachings that, like material items, were also spread across the Silk Roads.
Sultan Sanjar and the Old Woman
The front of the AKM PS24 robe features two repeated panels dedicated to the illustration of Sultan Sanjar, the Sultan of the Seljuq empire in Khorasan (present-day Afghanistan) and his encounter with an old lady. As told in the Nizami of Khamsa, the encounter begins when an old lady bravely confronts the Sultan on the poor-behaviour of his soldiers to the citizens like her. In his response, he laughs at her and ignores her statement as a minor problem.
She then bravely poses the question, "What good is it to conquer territories," she answers, "if you do not control your soldiers?" (Aga Khan Museum).
The story is unlike the other stories that depict messages of desirable blessings. Instead, the Sultan is humbled by the old woman’s remarks, although he is in a position of power, he, like any good ruler, must be reminded to abide by ethics and morals. In this way, the robe demonstrates a larger lesson for its wearer that although the wearer may receive the blessings from the other stories, the wearer must be reminded to follow the law, remain humble, and be a morally abiding person even when they are afforded with all the power and blessings one can desire.
Regardless of whether the maker of the robe intended for these illustrated stories to be literally interpreted as blessings, or even warnings for the wearer, I argue that we are able to keep this textile and the storytelling traditions of the embroidered tales alive by constructing meanings within them. The robe itself is a testament to the storytelling traditions across time and space, that from as far as the 1st century with the story of Parthenope and Metiochus, such tales might continue to exist even in the 20th century when the robe was created, and hopefully, further in the future if one makes an effort to engage in the stories of the robe. This examination of the stories of the robe opens up an avenue for discussion of how museums continue to keep the storytelling tradition alive, even when artefacts are threatened with extinction.