Red Hilye

Mohamed Zakariya American

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 460

A hilye is a "textual" portrait of the Prophet Muhammad. It presents a description of his physical and moral attributes. Hilyes were regarded as talismanic objects that had the power to protect their owners from harm.This hilye is by the contemporary master of the the Ottoman school of calligraphy, Mohamed Zakariya. Its composition is based on the standardized anthropomorphic layout with with a "head station", a "belly" and a crescent. Hilyas are found in different media such as wood, cloth, or paper. They were kept in the home or folded, placed in cases, and worn close to the body; they continue to function as protective and intercessory devices today.

Red Hilye, Mohamed Zakariya (American, born 1942, Ventura, CA), Ink, hot tempera, and gold alloy on ahar paper

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Red Hilye, Mohamed Zakariya (American, born 1942, Ventura, CA), Ink, hot tempera, and gold alloy on ahar paper
Red Hilye, Mohamed Zakariya (American, born 1942, Ventura, CA), Ink, hot tempera, and gold alloy on ahar paper

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