Women at Namaz Prayer and the Tomb of Osman, Hand Colored Lithograph, 1842

This is an original antique lithograph with hand coloring from the Galleria Universale di Tutti i Popoli del Mondo (Venice, Giuseppe Antonelli, 1842). The upper image shows four veiled women at prayer in open country: one standing upright in a yellow veil and red and blue gown, one prostrate on the ground in a lilac veil and crimson wrap, one bowing forward with hands on her knees, and one kneeling on a red and white prayer rug in a pale blue veil. The lower image shows the interior of a gray walled tomb chamber with barred windows and framed panels of script on the walls. A dark sarcophagus lies on a brown plinth, a turban set on a wooden staff at its head, and tall white candles in brass candlesticks stand around it.

The top margin is lettered "Tom. IV" at the left, "TURCHIA EUROPEA" in the center and "Tav. 118" at the right. The caption under the upper image reads "Preghiera di Namas" (namaz prayer) and the caption under the lower image reads "Turbè Osman" (tomb of Osman).

Namaz is the Turkish and Persian word for the Islamic ritual prayer, made up of standing, bowing, prostration and sitting, and the four women show these different positions. A türbe is an Ottoman mausoleum; placing a turban at the head of the tomb of a man was an Ottoman custom.

The quiet outdoor prayer scene above the candlelit tomb chamber gives the plate a calm, balanced composition for a study or a collection on Islamic subjects.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.