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Invisibility

Artist: Anson Maddocks

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Adrian Borda

thewindowofthesummerhouse

Neil Krug

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An ’alam made of gilt silver. Deccan, 18th century. Art Gallery of South Australia

A calligraphic pierced-steel Hand of Fatima, Persia, Qajar, circa 1800

Early 18th century standard in the shape of a palm, Iran. Silver with black inlay.

B N Goswamy on the art of the ’alam:

…in the Islamic world, certainly among the Shi’ites, it continues to be used as a powerful symbol: as a conventionalised version of the battle standards carried by Hussein, grandson of the Prophet, and one of the great martyrs of the faith. Memories of the fateful battle of Karbala, in honour of which the Muharram festival is held, are invoked through the ’alam which is carried aloft in processions. On the fine ’alam reproduced here — now in the Art Gallery of South Australia at Adelaide — there is a profusion of sacred calligraphy in Arabic, prominent among the panels being the great invocation: ‘Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim’, that is, “In the name of God, the Merciful, and the Compassionate”. The ’alam reminds the faithful, and protects them.

There are other, sometimes simpler, versions of the ’alam, one of which is held to be the stylised hand of the Prophet’s daughter, Fatima, and to possess talismanic powers. The five fingers of the hand are seen by many as representing the Prophet, his daughter Fatima, son-in-law Ali, and the two grandsons, Hasan and Hussein. There are evidently strong religious and magical associations here.