Sandals of the Prophet Muhammad

Given the oft-thorny complications of figural representation in Islam, strategies to tastefully depict the Prophet Muhammad resulted in the elevation of relics and objects worn or used by him. The Ottomans excelled in this pursuit, and specifically, the sandals, and implied footprints, became regarded as a potent symbol of the Prophet. This carried over to Islamic Southeast Asia, particularly as the spread of Islam in this region was shaped by the adoption of Sufism, its mystical dimension. This image of the Prophet's sandals is painted onto the reverse side of a piece of glass. To create the image, the artist painted details in the foreground before moving on to the background. This method, commonly referred to as "reverse glass painting", allows for the image to be viewed correctly from the other side of the glass.

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