
Matthew Thomas
Senior Specialist
£30,000 - £50,000
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Belts are of great importance in Islamic culture because of their ceremonial significance which explains why they are so finely worked. The belt, mintaqah or kamar was used as a symbol of authority by ruling dynasties as early as the Abbasid Caliphate. Belts were also a sign of rank and the practice of girding was a major rite of passage in Islamic societies. For examples of belt fittings in the Khalili Collection, see D. Alexander, Arts of War, Oxford, 1992, nos. 2-13, 15-16.