The Order of Al Nahda, First Class, star, badge and sash awarded to Lord Headley on completion of the Hajj in 1923 Mecca, circa 1923the star and badge each manufactured in nine parts of silver variously gilded and decorated in red, white and green enamel, the outer frames decorated in openwork with the points of six-pointed stars interspersed by palmettes, the central elements of circular form with engraved inscriptions and foliate motifs, the bosses with two inscriptions surmounted by crossed flags of the Hejaz; the sash of woven green, white and black cotton with red silk shoulder patch forming the flag of the Hejaz the star 8.3 cm. max; the badge 5.6 cm. max.; the sash 148 cm. long(3)Footnotes:ProvenanceRowland George Allanson Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley (1855-1935), also known as Shaikh Rahmatullah al-Farooq, and thence by descent.Inscriptions: wisam al-nahdah min darajah al-ula asasa sanah 1334 hijriyah, 'The Order of the Renaissance, First Class, 1334 of the Hijrah (1915-16)'; 'abdihi al-husayn bin 'ali, 'His (God's) servant, al-Husayn bin 'Ali'. The Order of al Nadha, or Supreme Order of the Renaissance, was instituted in 1917 by Hussein bin Ali al-Hashimi, King of the Hejaz (reg. 1916-1924) to commemorate the Arab Revolt of 1916 against the Ottoman Empire. Whilst it is likely that the initial orders were manufactured in France, subsequent awards, such as the present lot, were produced by local silversmiths in Mecca. Headley was awarded the Order of Al Nahda, First Class, after completing the Hajj in 1923 and proudly stated that it was 'the highest order that can be given in Arabia' (see Jamie Gilham, The British Muslim Convert, Lord Headley, 1855-1935, London, 2020, p. 141).A Second Class example of the Order of al Nahda, awarded to Colonel Pierce C. Joyce in 1920, is in the Imperial War Museum, London (OMD 5193).The following collection of items is offered by the family of Rowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley (1855-1935), who became an international celebrity in 1913 when he defied convention by publicly converting to Islam and, in so doing, became the public face of Islam in Britain. The collection includes personal items such as a fragment of Kiswah (lot 81), a robe (lot 79) and the exceptionally rare Order of Al Nahda medal (lot 82) which were presented to him in Mecca by Hussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz (reg. 1916-1924), on completion of his Hajj in 1923. Also included is a set of prayer beads, and silver zamzam bottles (lot 80) which are believed to have been carried with him on the pilgrimage. Born in London in 1855, he was educated at Westminster School and Cambridge University before entering the Middle Temple and continuing his studies at King's College London. He subsequently became a civil engineer, and worked in India between 1892 and 1897. It was during his four years in Kashmir that he first encountered the Islamic faith, but it was not until 1913, the same year in which he inherited the peerage from his cousin, that he officially converted to Islam, adopting the Muslim name of Shaikh Rahmatullah al-Farooq. In 1914 he founded the British Muslim Society, which had the principal aim of demonstrating that Islam was not antagonistic or hostile to Christianity. He remained president of the society for life and went on to write several books on Islam, including A Western Awakening to Islam and Three Great Prophets of the World. He intended to undertake the Hajj the same year, but was prevented from doing so by the outbreak of war, and had to wait until 1923 when he completed the pilgrimage at the age of 68. Very few Britons had made a pilgrimage to Mecca before Lord Headley, and it is possible that he was the first to do so legitimately. Despite the potential political implications of the situation, he was welcomed as a guest by King Hussein, who accompanied him on some stages of the pilgrimage and who is reported to have slept on the ground at Muzdalifah so that Headley might have a more comfortable rest on his own camp-bed. On his return to London, Headley gave numerous talks about his experience in Mecca including at the British Muslim Society, and became the subject of much press attention for the first time since his conversion in 1913. An image taken by a press photographer at his home in St Margarets (Fig. 1), depicts him wearing the robe and Order of Al Nadha while standing beside the larger fragment of Kiswah with which he was presented in Mecca, which he subsequently donated to Woking Mosque. This image was circulated and reprinted in newspapers and magazines worldwide. After completing the Hajj his profile and status within the British Muslim community increased, and he became an unofficial ambassador for British Islam. In 1925, he was offered the throne of Albania by a Muslim delegation who desired a British aristocrat for their ruler, but Lord Headley declined the offer on the grounds that has assassination was practically certain should he accept. Beyond his devotion to Islam Lord Headley was a keen boxer, having been a champion at Cambridge University, and was also one of the earliest exponents of martial arts. In 1890 he co-authored Broad-sword and Singlestick, one of the earliest self defence manuals and went on to write one of the first modern guides to boxing (Boxing, 1889).A detailed account of the life of Lord Headley, the circumstances of his conversion to Islam and his attitude towards the Islamic faith is given in Jamie Gilham, The British Muslim Convert, Lord Headley, 1855-1935, London, 2020.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
